The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), on Thursday, faulted the request by President Muhammadu Buhari that Section 84 (12) of the newly signed Electoral Act should be amended by the National Assembly.
The organisation specifically said Section 84 (12) barring appointees to contest elective positions if they have not resigned, which Buhari wanted the National Assembly to amend, did not affect issues of free, fair and credible electoral process, nor did it completely hinder any qualified citizen from contesting elections.
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The Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, who stated this in response to Daily Trust’s enquiry on the rejection of the president’s request, lauded the National Assembly, particularly the Senate, for debunking the rubber-stamp name given the 9th assembly by some Nigerians.
According to Rafsanjani, it is too early for any amendment to the electoral act which has just been signed into law by the president, saying it is completely worth the while to give it ample time so that any process of amendment would identify further areas other than Section 84(12) alone.
He noted that the push for the amendment of the section alone is laced with desperation from certain interest elements within the political class.
The CISLAC boss said, “Nigerians have greeted this rejection as a sign of the Senate asserting itself as an independent arm of government by not succumbing to the dictates of the executive.”
