By Sanni Onogu, Gbenga Omokhunu, Gbade Ogunwale, Frank Ikpefan and Bolaji Ogundele
There were indications yesterday that President Muhammadu Buhari will likely sign the reworked Electoral Act Amendment Bill into Law today.
Special Adviser on media and Publicity to the President, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the assent could be in a matter of hours.
Adesina dropped the hint during an interview on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, hours before a coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) took to the streets in Abuja to protest what they called delay in siging the bill by the President.
But another presidential source told The Nation that the Bill had not been returned to the Villa by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami as at Monday night.
The Nation also learnt that bill, when assented to by the President, will return to the National Assembly with a request for an adjustment to Clause 84(10).
The lawmakers had inserted the clause in the reworked Electoral Bill to compel public office holders with interest to seek political offices to resign before participating in the APC primaries.
The clause strips political appointees of the eligibility to vote as delegates or stand as aspirant.
Clause 84(10) states: “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.”
A source confirmed to The Nation last night that President Buhari will return the document to the National Assembly for readjustment.
Buhari has up till March 2 to assent to the reworked bill, which was sent to his table from the National Assembly on January 30.
On when President will sign the Bill, Adesina said: “It could be today (yesterday), it could be tomorrow (today), it could be anytime, but within the 30 days.”
“It could be signed today; it could be signed tomorrow. In a matter of hours…not days. Hours could be 24 hours; it could be 48 hours; not days, not weeks.”
Adesina faulted those accusing Buhari of delaying the signing of the bill, saying the President’s action is still within the requirements of the constitution.
He said it will only be appropriate to say the president has acted against the law if he exceeds the 30-day window provided by the law.
Adesina said: “You know before the president will put pen to paper on any legislation, particularly this one that has to do with our electoral fortunes, it has to be looked at and looked at.
“He has to buy opinions from different stakeholders and having been satisfied that the necessary due diligence had been done and he will not be making any error, then he will sign it, and I tell you that Nigerians will get to hear about this bill in hours.”
Yesterday, a coalition of CSO’s staged a protest at the Unity Fountain, Abuja. They said the delayed assent would hamper the preparation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the general elections next year.
The coalition urged Buhari to sign within the 30-day timeline.
In a joint statement, the coalition said: “We call on President Buhari to sign the Electoral bill into law on or before the expiration of the 30 days’ timeline on the 1st March 2022 to enable INEC to issue Notice of Election and release the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general election.
“Further amendments to the Electoral Bill 2022 can be proposed after assent has been granted. It is within the President’s prerogative to propose amendments after signing the bill like he did in the case of the Petroleum Industry Bill and 2022 Appropriation bill, an act which attracted commendation.
“The National Assembly should ensure gazetted copies of the Electoral Act 2022 are available to citizens as soon as the bill is signed into law.”
Also yesterday, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cautioned that the non-signing of the Bill might plunge the country into a political crisis that could threaten the electoral process.
At a media briefing in Abuja, spokesman of PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said that Nigeria must not be turned into another ‘axis of concern’ to the world.
The party reminded the President of his recent pledge to the international community at a forum in Belgium.
Ologunagba said: “On Thursday, February 17, 2022, President Buhari addressed the EU-AU Summit in Brussel, Belgium, whereupon he called on the European Union (EU) to impose weighty sanctions on those engaged in unconstitutional change of governments as well as those influencing the process and outcomes of elections.
“We urge the President to practice what he preaches. Mr. President’s refusal to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill constitutes an obstruction to democratic principle of credible elections.
“Any electoral process which does not guarantee free, fair and transparent transmission of election results from the polling units can only result in a government that lacks credibility and legitimacy which amounts to an unconstitutional change of government, against the will of the people.”