ELECTORAL BILL: As President Buhari receives leadership of NASS in State House

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

Against expectations that the withholding of assent by President Muhammadu Buhari to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 would make a repeat of Eighth National Assembly where tit-for-tat was order of the day and All Progressives Congress (APC) dominated legislature visibly frustrated governance of its own party’s government, the Ninth Assembly has chosen national interest above individual political interest and has, therefore, refused to let the issues escalate beyond normal.

Indication to this effect became more obvious on Thursday 23 December, 2021, when President Muahammadu Buhari received in audience Senate President Ahmed Lawan and Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila in the seat of power, Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.  Details of the meeting were not available to The DEFENDER as at the time of filing this report, it was, however, certain, according to a source, that the electoral act bill topped discussion of the leaders during the meeting.

President Buhari did not sign the bill and reasons for his decision not to sign it have now been clearly stated by him, as transmitted to the lawmakers through a letter.  Even before then, both chambers of the National Assembly had passed the national budget estimates for 2022, which some critics from civil societies and opposition party had thought would be used by the legislative arm as negotiating power to force the President to sign the Electoral Bill into law, despite his clearly expressed concerns over some grey areas.

“The lawmakers, not only passed the budget documents at their respective chambers but, they also went ahead to disappoint movers of an effort to override the President’s veto on the bill, by thwarting the moves after some colleagues had gathered signatures to do so,” the source said.

According to him, this happened as the NASS leadership backed down on the move to override the President and suspended all matters regarding the Electoral Bill until sometimes in January 2022. This, they said, would enable them do wider consultations on the issues raised in the President’s letter transmitting why his assent was withheld.

With the visit Thursday 23 December, 2021 of Senate President Ahmed Lawan and Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila to the seat of power meeting with President Buhari, all issues regarding the bill are believed to have watered down the tough action critics had expected from the legislative side.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), in a statement earlier on Thursday, had commended the leaderships of both chambers of the National Assembly for refusing to allow issues surrounding the non-signing of the Electoral Bill by the President stop them from carrying out their duty as it concerns national interest thereby passing the 2022 national budget without delay without hindrance.

MURIC, according to the statement signed by its director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, described the Lawan/Gbajabiamila-led Ninth National Assembly as patriotic for shunning suggestions for it to lead the country back to the “Bukola Saraki” era.

Other photos from the meeting below: