Tag: ELECTORAL BILL

Electoral Act amendment Bill: Angry Senators move to override Buhari, collect signatures to veto President

Aminu Imam

…As Senate Refuses to pass 2022 Budget over the withholding of his assent Some aggrieved senators have started collecting signatures to override President Buhari’s veto of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill. According to Senator George Sekibo, while speaking at the National Assembly complex yesterday,irked by the President’s decision, about 73 signatures of aggrieved lawmakers have been collated, adding that there is no going back on the decision to override President Buhari on the Electoral Bill. Prior to a brief interview with newsmen after the Senate’s plenary, Senator Sekibo had earlier…

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“We are going to revisit Electoral Bill in January” – House Speaker, Gbajabiamila

Aminu Imam

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep Femi Gbajabiamila, on Thursday, assured that the National Assembly would decide the fate of the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill 2021 in January next year, upon resumption from the Christmas and New Year holiday. Gbajabiamila gave the assurance while delivering his end-of-year speech shortly after reading the President’s communication to the House on his decision not to give his assent to the Bill, He promised Nigerians that the parliament would not throw away the Bill just because President Muhammadu Buhari declined his assent…

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Electoral Act Amendment: ‘Why NASS can’t override Buhari’s refusal to assent Bill’ – Wike

Aminu Imam

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, says the National Assembly lacks the temerity to override President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to sign the Electoral Act amendment Bill because it is part of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scheme to deny Nigerians free, fair and transparent election in 2023. He said the only way for Nigerians not to repeat the 2015 and 2019 mistakes of voting the APC-led Federal Government into power is to send them packing in 2023. Governor Wike made the assertions at the flag-off of Chokocho-Igbodo Road that was performed…

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“Why I declined assent to Electoral Amendment Bill” – President Buhari

Aminu Imam

President Muhammadu Buhari has written a letter to the President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, explaining the reasons he withheld his assent to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021. The President, in the letter, said the prevailing situation in the country would not allow him to sign the Bill. President Buhari cited the high cost of conducting direct primaries, the security challenge of monitoring the election, violation of citizens’ rights and marginalisation of small political parties among other reasons for rejecting the Bill. The President also said he had received…

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Electoral Amendment Bill: As deadline for President’s assent expires NASS spoils for showdown

Aminu Imam

…President yet to communicate – Senate Spokesman…”We will override him”, Lawmakers insist As the number of days stipulated by law for President Muhammadu Buhari to assent or decline assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021 expired yesterday, there is reportedly an uneasy calm between the National Assembly and the Presidency. It was gathered that lawmakers are already mobilising themselves, awaiting any official communication today, Monday, to enable them to take a decision tomorrow. Recall that the National Assembly bureaucracy submitted the clean copy of the bill to the President…

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Electoral Bill: With 2 days to go, President keeps Nigerians in suspense

Aminu Imam

…As ex-lawmaker expresses optimism Despite appeals from different quarters to President Muhammadu Buhari, including the diplomatic community, to sign the amended Electoral Bill forwarded to him by the National Assembly on November 19, the president has continued to keep the people in suspense even when it is barely three days to the 30-days deadline within which he is constitutionally mandated to assent to the Bill or return same to the Legislature. Although the president has not hinted at any possibility since he received the Electoral Bill, the Bill has, however,…

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Electoral Act: CSOs express confidence in Buhari, demand representation

Aminu Imam

The Civil Society Partners on Electoral Reform have said that there are strong indications that President Muhammadu Buhari will sign the Electoral Act Bill into law very soon. The group expressed its confidence in an open letter to the President, while demanding for representation of groups at the Electoral Bill signing ceremony. The CSOs made the statement in an open letter to President Buhari yesterday, signed by the ‘Adopt A Goal for Development Initiative, Executive Director, Ariyo-Dare Atoye, Maryam Ahmed, of Centre for Liberty, Jude Feranmi, of Raising New Voices,…

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Electoral Act Amendment: INEC replies Buhari, advises President to assent to Bill

Aminu Imam

The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has replied to President Mohammadu Buhari’s letter which he wrote to the electoral body seeking explanation on some areas in the 2021 Electoral Act Amendment Bill transmitted to him by the National Assembly. According to a reliable source in the Presidency, it was INEC’s considered opinion that the Bill contains substantial provisions that would lay a solid foundation for important improvements in the electoral process for the nation. Recall that in a letter dated November 29th, 2021 and signed by the Chief of Staff…

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NASS under pressure to veto Buhari on Electoral Amendment Bill

Aminu Imam

The Organisation for Community Civic Engagement, (OCCEN), a Civil Society Organisation has begun mounting pressure on the National Assembly to veto President Muhammadu Buhari if he fails to sign Electoral Amendment Bill 2021. Addressing newsmen in Kano yesterday, an OCCEN Executive Director, Abdulrazaq Alkali, lamented that the President was yet to sign the bill into law even as the deadline for the Bill to become law would elapse in two weeks. He said, “The president had been foot-dragging and unjustifiably delaying on the Bill”, adding that “the president’s gesture should…

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Electoral Act: Pressure mounts on Buhari amid concerns president may decline his assent for the fifth time

Aminu Imam

A cross-section of Nigerians are mounting pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Electoral Act amendment Bill into law. Recall that the Bill was passed by the National Assembly on November, 9 and subsequently transmitted to the President on November, 19. The pressure is being mounted on the President amidst concerns that he may repeat the scenario that played out on four different occasions when he refused to sign the amended Electoral Bill in the build-up to the 2019 general elections. The president has until December 19, which is…

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