By Daniel Kanu
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday urged the National Assembly to immediately override President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto of the Electoral Act 2010 (Amendment) Bill.
This is even as the opposition party said Buhari’s veto did not come as a surprise, insisting that the president’s commitment to a free and fair 2019 election was mere lip service.
Ita Enang, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), disclosed in a statement in Abuja on Monday that President Buhari had declined assent to Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2018 due to “some drafting issues.”
The presidential aide said the president had already communicated his position to the Senate and the House of Representatives on August 30.
“Mr President is declining assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill due to some drafting issues that remain unaddressed following the prior revisions to the Bill.
“Mr President invites the Senate and House of Representatives to address these issues as quickly as possible so that he may grant assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill.’’
Mr Enang listed the outstanding issues resolved to include a cross referencing error in the proposed amendment to Section 18 of the Bill.
“The appropriate amendment is to substitute the existing sub-section (2) with the proposed subsection (1A), while the proposed sub-section (1B) is the new sub-section (2A).
‘’The proposed amendment to include a new Section 87 (14) which stipulates a specific period within which political party primaries are required to be held.
“It has the unintended consequence of leaving INEC with only nine days to collate and compile lists of candidates and political parties as well manage the primaries of 91 political parties for the various elections.”
He explained that the Electoral Amendment Bill did not amend sections 31, 34 and 85 which stipulated times for the submission of lists of candidates, publication of lists of candidates and notice of convention, congresses for nominating candidates for elections.
Also read: https://www.thenicheng.com/buhari-declines-assent-to-electoral-bill-gives-reasons/
But reacting through a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said, “It is now manifestly clear to Nigerians that all the reasons adduced by President Buhari for withholding his assent in the past were lame excuses.
“The clerical and drafting arguments put forward by President Buhari could not in anyway outweigh the importance of amendments meant to engender free, fair, credible and transparent elections in 2019.
“The PDP therefore charges the National Assembly to stand with Nigerians in the overall quest for credible elections by immediately overriding President Buhari on the bill.”