Electoral Bill: Buhari yet to communicate to National Assembly — Presidency

President Muhammadu Buhari is yet to communicate to the National Assembly on the Electoral Act Amendment bill, the presidency has said.

There has been a cold war between federal lawmakers and governors over the inclusion of direct primaries in the bill, with the latter mounting pressure on the president not to sign the bill.

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The harmonised version of the bill was passed by the National Assembly last month and transmitted to the President for his assent.

A national daily had reported that President Buhari had returned the bill to the National Assembly in a letter addressed to the two presiding officers.

But Buhari’s aides on National Assembly matters said they were not aware of any communication to the parliament to that effect.

Any official communication from the president to both chambers of the National Assembly passes through their office.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Babajide Omoworare, in a telephone interview with Daily Trust described the report as “speculation”.

He said, “If there is a communication from the president to the National Assembly, I should know. Let’s just still take it (the rejection) as speculation.

‘If there is a communication to the effect that the president has rejected the Electoral bill, I’m not aware, and I should be aware, and we are still waiting for the 30 days within which the president should communicate to the National Assembly if he wants to.”

Also, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on National Assembly matters (House of Representatives), Ibrahim El-Yakub, said he was not aware of any communication to the parliament to that effect.

He said, “What I know is that it will not be returned through the back door.

“If the President assented to a bill, it will be known. He has 30 days from the day a bill is transmitted to the time he will assent to it.

“If he declined assent, the bill will just lapse and people will know that he has not assented.

“He will write to the National Assembly about it that he has not assented, stating his reasons.

“If he sent the letter, it must pass through me and I must be aware.

“It is not something that will be transmitted in secret and they keep quiet. That cannot be done.

“This government is not a Kangaroo government. There are rules and processes and the President always tries to follow those rules.”