Electoral Bill: NASS Bows To Buhari, Won’t Override President

By James Orji

Those expecting a rowdy session in the National Assembly this week over the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the amended Electoral Bill will be disappointed. There are reports many lawmakers are spoiling for war and may attempt to override the president on the bill.

But the magazine has learnt, that senators and House of Representatives will rather find an amicable solution to the issue than set out on a confrontation with the president.

The 30 days window provided by the Constitution for the president to sign the electoral bill expired on Sunday, December 19. The bill which polarized the Assembly and governors elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC was transmitted to President Buhari on November 19 for his assent.

The new provision in the amended Electoral Act 2021 is expected to replace the old law where political parties were allowed to determine the mode of choosing candidates for elective positions.

Indirect primaries, where delegates are picked to elect party candidates had been adopted in the past by political parties. The process, many contend is not transparent and mostly hijacked by governors who force their candidate on the parties.

Many APC governors are not happy with the new provision where candidates expected to fly the parties’ flag will be elected directly by registered members of such political parties.

The governors were said to have exerted pressure on the president not to sign the bill, to the anger of many lawmakers who reports said will try to override the president by passing the bill into law.

The Constitution provides for 30 for the president to sign a bill sent to him by the NASS or return same to the assembly in case he refused his assent.

Even though the president had yet to return the bill to the assembly, sources in the Presidency told the magazine on Monday, that the bill will be returned to the lawmakers this week by Senator Babajide Omoworare, the Senior Special Assistant, SSA to the president on National Assembly Matters.

Ahead of its return, the magazine learnt that some senators and house of Reps members are already holding meetings on how to resolve the debacle. Some are poised to override the president while many lawmakers said the issue will be resolve amicable “in such a way that will further polarise the ruling APC. There must be a consensus on the matter because our party is already facing series of problem that threatens its foundation, therefore, the Electoral Bill issue is likely to add more fuel to the divisions in the party if not well handled,”a ranking senator from Nasarrawa state told the magazine.

Many APC lawmakers are not ready to go to war with the president on the issue despite the extreme position adopted by some of their colleagues that they must override the president on the issue.

Opeyemi Bamidele, a senator representing Ekiti had last week warned of serious consequence for the nation’s electoral process if the president failed to sign the bill into law.

The Chairman, Southern Senators’ Forum, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, said The Electoral Act at the end of the day is not about the National Assembly, “it is not about the President or any individual or institution. It is about the people of Nigeria, our democracy, the survival of same and growth of same. It is about moving Nigeria forward.

“Those who felt strongly about the idea of putting a clause in our proposed electoral bill to guarantee direct primaries as a method of choosing candidates of political parties meant well for the country. Some of those who are trying to oppose it also have logical arguments.”

In spite of the restiveness in both chambers over the president’s decision to reject the bill, the magazine learnt that some top aides in the presidency and National Assembly leaders will meet on the issue before the end of the week.

“The meeting will involve the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and leaders of the party. The meeting will take place before the bill is returned, so as to douse tension. The leaders of the Assembly will also in due course meet with the president formally to address the matter amicably in the party way,” a source in the presidency said on Monday.

Despite the massive support for the bill among opposition parties, international community and civil societies organisations, CSO who said it has the potential of turning around the nation’s election process, Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President On Media and Publicity had on December 6 said no ramifications for Buhari’s presidency if he failed to sign the bill into law.

Buhari’s “reputation as somebody who wants to leave clean elections for Nigeria has already been made whether the electoral act is signed or not. It doesn’t distract from that reputation,” Adesina said.