After days of speculations that have raised concern about the fate of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021, the presidency assured yesterday that President Muhammadu Buhari is desirous of signing the bill into law.
According to it, consultations are ongoing by the president, the Attorney-General of the Federation and minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and other stakeholders to assent the bill.
About nine days after the transmission of the reworked version of the bill to Buhari by the National Assembly, there had been nothing to show that the president was planning to sign the electoral bill.
LEADERSHIP reported yesterday that some Senators had renewed their vow to override the president this time if he fails to append his signature on the bill.
President Buhari had in December 2021 vetoed the electoral act amendment bill, insisting that he will only sign the bill if the lawmakers throw open issues of political party primaries for them to decide.
The electoral bill was reworked by the National Assembly and both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed the bill and transmitted it to the president on January 31 this year.
Why Electoral Bill Has Not Been Signed – Osinbajo
The senior special assistant to the president on National Assembly matters (Senate), Senator Babajide Omoworare, who made the presidency’s position known yesterday said the attorney-general of the federation and minister of Justice is currently deliberating with Buhari at the moment and it is not just the attorney-general
Omoworare stated this in Abuja during a discussion organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in collaboration with Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD).
The policy dialogue centred on “Electoral Bill 2021 and Quest for Presidential Assent: Matters Arising”.
Omoworare said consultations were ongoing by the president, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and other stakeholders to assent the Bill.
He noted: “I have it in good authority that the attorney-general is deliberating with him at the moment and it is not just the attorney-general. For every Bill that comes to the President, he consults before deciding to assent or withholding his assent with reasons in furtherance of the provision of the Constitution.
“We are aware that in spite of the fact that the President needs 30 days under Section 58 to sign, the president is desirous of signing it,” he said.
Also speaking, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, said for the country to maintain electoral integrity, a good law was necessary.
He said, “We were in an unfortunate situation where a tendency had begun to develop, where both the Executive and Legislature did not see the necessity of urgent improvement in the electoral legal framework so that we can keep upscaling the integrity of our election.
“Luckily now, we have a good law arising from the reform process which commenced after the 2019 Election.”
Regretting that it had taken this long to amend the electoral bill, Jega noted that the legal framework was now perhaps “the best electoral law in our history.
“It will certainly add tremendous value to the integrity of our elections henceforth when it is signed,” he added.
On his part, executive director of YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, said it was inconsiderable for Nigeria to go into another round of election with the current Electoral Law.
Itodo noted: “This Bill contains a very remarkable proposed amendment. Since 2010, this is perhaps one of the best pieces of electoral legislation in our country. We hope the President will assent to this.
“We just hope that the amount of time that the president used to communicate his decision in December won’t be the same case; and he assured us, and importantly because we are in a national election emergency.
“If INEC needs to issue notice of election 360 days to the day of election, so by next Friday, I think INEC should be issuing notice of election.
“If the Bill is not passed, it is going to impact on the timelines for election”.
The director-general national institute for legislative studies, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, said it had become increasingly clear that the 2010 Electoral Act (as Amended) had outlived its importance, “hence the need to complete the process of the 2021 Electoral Bill, awaiting Presidential assent.”
Sulaiman said that as INEC prepares for the Ekiti and Ondo governorship elections and the 2023 general election, it cannot do so in the uncertainty of whether a new legal framework will come into effect or not.
“Any delay in enacting the bill into law will directly make it difficult on the part of INEC’s preparation for the elections,” he warned, noting that the Bill has the potential of increasing the transparency, legitimacy and the confidence of the electorate in the country’s leadership recruitment process and democracy.
For his part, chief technical adviser to INEC chairman, Prof Bolade Eyinla, said that amending the bill “is a contentious issue.
“The applicability of a law is dependent on when it is signed, and when it is supposed to apply. For us in INEC, we will continue to plan our election based on Extant Laws and Regulations. If anyone is signed and it is applicable, this will be used,” he added
