Electoral Act: Gbajabiamila Denies Role; Warns Lawmakers

By James Orji

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila  has warned members of the National Assembly  to desist from making utterances  capable of maligning itsimage.

Gbajabiamila  spoke barely few hours after Senator Bala Na’Allah accused him of imputing the direct primaries  provision into the Electoral Act bill rejected by President Muhammadu Buhari last month.

The president refused his assent to the bill on the excuse that direct primaries contradicts the Constitutional provision which gives political parties power to determine the mode of chosing candidates for election.

Blaming the Speaker for Buhari’s  rejection of the bill, Na’ Allah who represents Kebbi South in the Senate, said the proposition was Gbajabiamila’s idea, meant to favour an unnamed politician.

The Kebbi lawmaker said“We are hearing that that law (direct primary) was intended for an individual. I don’t know. I honestly don’t know but I must say and maintain that the process was not painstaking enough,” said Na’Allah on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Thursday.

He said the provision was smuggled into the bill by the Speaker at the eleventh hour.

“The issue of direct primary came at the dying minute on the floor of the House of Representatives when they were considering the report of the committee of electoral matters.

“What it means is that it was never discussed or adopted by the committee of the House but that it came as an amendment allegedly because I don’t have the records, by the Speaker of the House of Representatives,” the Senator  said.

In what is regarded as a veil response to the allegation,  Gbajabiamila  said some lawmakers  are trying to abuse their rights to freedom of speech. He said the utterances of such lawmakers are capable  of damaging the reputation  of the National Assembly.

Gbajabiamila who spoke during plenary on Thursday  said: “some members of this National Assembly exercising their freedom of expression and speech, and that is well within their right. But when you exercise such freedom, be careful not to mislead the public; be careful not to malign, unjustifiably, this institution.

“This leadership has allowed people to express their opinions at all times; I have no problem with that. But when you begin to call the institution which you are a part of names, unwittingly maligning even yourself, we need to draw a line especially when you are peddling untruths. And I just thought it was important that we mention this so (that) in future we will be guided both by the freedom of expression and by the truth.

“It was a show of disgrace as far as I’m concerned – I don’t care what anybody says – the things that were uttered by members of this National Assembly. A show of disgrace! (I am) extremely disappointed.”

Meanwhile, the house of Representatives  and Senate, on Thursday re-amended the Act and are now waiting for its harmonisation  after which it would be forward to President  Buhari for his assent.