Lawmakers Transmit Re-amended Electoral Act to Buhari

The National Assembly has transmitted the re-amended Electoral Act Amendment Bill to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Senior Special Assistant disclosed this to the President on NASS Matters (Senate), Senator Babajide Omoworare, on Monday.

Omoworare stated that the transmission of the bill was in line with the provisions of Section 58 (3) of the 1999 Constitution and the Acts Authentication Act Cap. A2 LFN 2004.

He stressed that the Clerk to the National Assembly, Olatunde Ojo, transmitted the authenticated copies of the bill to the President on Monday.

“The Clerk to the National Assembly Mr. Olatunde Amos Ojo has transmitted the authenticated copies of the Electoral Bill 2022 to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari GCFR on 31st January 2022,” he said.

“This was done in accordance with the provisions of Section 58 (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Acts Authentication Act Cap. A2 LFN 2004.

“Mr. President had withheld assent to the Electoral Bill 2021 transmitted to him on 19th November 2021. The Electoral Bill was after that reworked by the National Assembly, and both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed same on 25th January 2022.”

Recall that lawmakers had different opinions on direct and indirect primaries but harmonized the bill last week.

The President had in November last year rejected signing the bill. He cited the cost of conducting direct primary elections, security challenges, and possible manipulation of electoral processes by political actors as reasons for his decision.

However, the lawmakers had gone back to rework the bill and reached an agreement. It has amended the bill to include direct, indirect, and consensus primary modes of nominating candidates by political parties for elections.