•Says Nigeria’s democracy stands to gain a lot
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila on Friday commended President Muhammadu Buhari for assenting to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2022 passed by the National Assembly.
Hon. Gbajabiamila said the President’s action was in line with the All Progressives Congress (APC) determination to bequeath a legacy of an improved democracy to Nigerians.
The Speaker however keeps mum over President Buhari’s request on the provision which he alleged “constitutes a fundamental defect, as it is in conflict with extant constitutional provisions.”
According to Mr President, “Section 84 (12) constitutes a disenfranchisement of serving political office holders from voting or being voted for at Conventions or Congresses of any political party, for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election in cases where it holds earlier than 30 days to the National Election.
“The section provides as follows: “No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the Convention or Congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election”.
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“This provision has introduced qualification and disqualification criteria that ultra vires the Constitution by way of importing blanket restriction and disqualification to serving political office holders of which they are constitutionally accorded protection.
“The practical application of section 84(12) of the Electoral Bill, 2022 will, if assented to, by operation of law, subject serving political office holders to inhibitions and restrictions referred to under section 40 and 42 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended),” President Buhari observed.
The Speaker also commended members of the National Assembly for standing firm to ensure that the country has a new electoral law that Nigerians would be proud of and for passing another landmark legislation.
Hon. Gbajabiamila noted that the new law is a collaborative effort by all stakeholders made up of Civil society organisations, Organised Labour, the Media, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), among others and that this is what happens when all stakeholders work together in the best interest of the country.
He said with the signing into law of the new electoral law, the Nigerian electorate would witness an improvement in the country’s electoral process.
Hon. Gbajabiamila who expressed optimism that Nigeria’s democracy stands to gain a lot from the new electoral law, however, urged all stakeholders, especially the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that it commences the implementation of the new law in earnest so as to have better elections next year.