Electoral Bill: Buhari Returns Bill To NASS; Off To UK For Medicals

By Uche Mbah

Days after he signed the Nigerian Electoral Bill into Law, President Muhammadu Buhari has returned the same Bill to the National Assembly, objecting again to section 84(2) subsection 12 of the act.

It is not clear why he did not submit the Amendment with the objectionable Direct Primaries Clause.

Buhari forwarded the letter to the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan before jetting out to the United Kingdom for Medicals.  He will be away for more than two weeks on a routine medical check-up he would embark on after a four-day visit to Kenya.

Section 84 (2) Subsection 12 of the Electoral act states that “no political appointee shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of any candidate for an election.”

Buhari claimed this disenfranchises office holders

In the letter, he said the amendment is necessary as the Clause constitutes a fundamental defect and leads to the disenfranchisement of political officeholders, aside conflicting with extant constitutional provisions, making it vire and ineffectual.