In a letter sent to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari today, he has given the reason why he will not sign the Electoral Act 2010 Amendment Bill into law.
President Muhammadu Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari has written to both chambers of the National Assembly saying he will not give his assent to the controversial Electoral Act 2010 Amendment Bill seeking to re-order the sequence of polls during general elections.
In the letter Buhari sent to the lawmakers and read by President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, at the plenary on Tuesday, he said the amendments to the principal Act would be in conflict with the laws establishing the Independent National Electoral Commission, among others.
See some of the reasons the President gave below:
A.The amendment to the sequence of elections in Section 25 of the principal act, may infringe upon the constitutionally guaranteed discretion of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organize, undertake and supervise.
B.The amend to Section 138 of the principal act to delete two crucial grounds upon which an election may be challenged by candidates, unduly limits the rights of candidates in elections to a free and fair electoral review process.
C. The amendment to Section 152 Subsection 325 of the Principal Act may raise Constitutional issues over the competence of the National Assembly to legislate over local government elections.