Buhari declined assent to Electoral amendment bill – Namdas
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The leadership of the House of Representatives on Monday confirmed receipt of President Muhammadu Buhari’s letter in which he conveyed his decision to decline assent to the Electoral Act, 2010.
Abdulrazak Namdas, Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs disclosed this in a chat with BusinessDay, explained that the principal officers will hold a meeting on the issues relating to the funding of the 2019 general elections and brief the media on the outcome of the meeting.
Earlier, Kwewum Rimamnde Shawulu (PDP-Taraba) had during a television interview monitored by our Correspondent, noted that the budget approved for card reader in the 2018 budget may be revisited since the President declined assent to the section.
He noted that President Buhari argued that the “wordings will be confusing though he did not specify which sections of the Electoral bill was ambiguous.”
Shawulu observed that the House will deliberate on the issues raised by the Presidency with the view to ascertain the possibility of virement.
“He has vetoed the 2010 Electoral Act twice, even the issue of the card reader. If it is in the budget, we may have to reconsider whether it is needful because the existing Supreme Court judgement is that the Card reader is alien to the Electoral Act.
“Therefore, if provisions have been made for card readers in the budget, you have to start thinking on why you have to put then there.
“That’s one of the considerations that will come up during the consideration.”
According to him, the letter that was sent to us in the House was cover letter, the details of the virement, the details if the reductions and the rest of them have not been made available to us. So it will not be right for us to say this is right or this is wrong,” Shawulu said, adding that the letter was read on the day the House embarked on recess.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja