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Senate Rejects Buhari’s Request for Electoral Bill Amendment As Ambitious Appointees Barred from Primaries
The likes of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; and other political appointees believed to interested in elective offices will not be able to participate in the All Progressives Congress primaries expected to begin in May unless they resign.
This is the state of things following the rejection of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill by the Senate on Wednesday.
However, elected officers including governors, deputy governors, the Vice-President and members of the National Assembly and the state legislature will be allowed to contest and participate in the primaries.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, while signing the bill into law last month, called on the National Assembly to amend Section 84 of the Electoral Act which bars political appointees from voting at any convention, congress or primary of any political party. He subsequently sent a bill to the National Assembly to that effect.
Section 84(10) of the Act specifically reads, “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.”
It further states that where a political party fails to comply with the provisions of this Act in the conduct of its primaries, its candidate for election shall not be included in the election for the particular position in issue.
Buhari had subsequently asked the National Assembly to amend the bill, arguing that it was at variance with the constitution.
But the Senate, on Wednesday, unanimously rejected the President’s amendment proposal.
The executive bill failed to pass when President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, put the motion for its adoption for second reading to a voice vote.
After the Majority Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, moved the motion for the bill to be read a second time, Senator Adamu Aliero had urged the Senate to step down amendment of the Electoral Act.
Raising a point of order, Aliero made reference to the provision of Rule 52(5) of the Standing Orders of the Senate.
Order 52(5) provides that, ‘Reference shall not be made to any matter on which a judicial decision is pending, in such a way as might in the opinion of the President of the Senate prejudice the interest of parties thereto.’
Aliero, therefore, advised the Senate to step down consideration of the bill pending the vacation of the ruling by a Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.
The senator pointed out that going ahead with the process would be sub judice.
Lawan, while ruling on Aliero’s point of order, insisted that the move by the Senate to amend the Act was to exercise the constitutional duties of the legislature.
After Abdullahi led the debate on the bill, the Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe opposed the proposed deletion of Section 84(12) of the Act.
Abaribe said, “There are certain things that we see which we think we don’t even have to come here to debate. One of those things is the fact that in every democracy, all over the world, there are certain rules which we don’t need to be told about. One of those rules is the fact that you cannot be a referee and a player on the same field. It is either you’re a referee or a player.”
Also, Senator Smart Adeyemi opposed consideration of the bill saying, “Indeed, it is a settled matter in law that you cannot be a judge over you own case.”
Adeyemi added, “In any election, where people have the added advantage of holding executive power, either by proxy or directly or by appointment, for such people to have access and compete with others who came from the street, I think is an unjust society.
“Therefore, I disagree with all the arguments on the need to consider a decision that has already been settled.”
Efforts by the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, to sway the opinion of the lawmakers were unsuccessful as the senators voted overwhelmingly against the bill.
The development swiftly became a trending topic on social media as many Nigerians described it as “the beginning of the end” of Malami’s political ambition.
Attempts to get a response from the AGF’s Office proved abortive as his Media Adviser, Umar Gwandu, did not respond to an inquiry.
The National Assembly has been divided over the ruling by a Federal High Court, Abuja, stopping Buhari; Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation and the parliament from tampering with the Electoral Act 2022.
The Senate had insisted on going ahead to consider the request by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), who asked the federal parliament to delete Section 84(14) of the new electoral law but the House of Representatives said it would obey the court.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu, while addressing journalists on Tuesday, argued that the chamber would obey the Rule of Law principle.
The Punch
Source: Reuters
Arise Television anchor, Rufai Oseni, has alleged that there may be attempts to prevent key opposition figures, including Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, from appearing on the ballot for the 2027 general elections.
Oseni’s remark followed a Federal High Court judgment ordering the de-registration of some political parties.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples’ Party (APP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and Action Alliance Party (AAP) over alleged constitutional breaches.
The judgment arose from a lawsuit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), which argued that the affected parties failed to meet constitutional and statutory electoral performance requirements necessary for continued recognition as political parties.
Justice Lifu subsequently barred INEC from recognising the affected parties, accepting nominations from them or permitting them to participate in activities related to the 2027 general elections.
The ruling, if upheld, could affect the political ambitions of several politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is the ADC presidential flag-bearer, and Osun State governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Accord Party.
But speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Tuesday, Oseni described the court ruling as a “test” of public reaction, warning that more actions could follow ahead of the next general election.
According to him, opposition parties such as the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, should be cautious, claiming that efforts could be made to stop major figures from participating in the election.
Oseni argued that the judgment was part of a broader process aimed at shaping the political landscape ahead of 2027.
He maintained that the ruling came despite some of the affected parties having recorded electoral victories in recent elections.
He warned that Nigerians must remain vigilant to safeguard the country’s democracy, stressing the need for judicial reforms alongside efforts to tackle insecurity.
Oseni said: “NDC, ADC should be careful because there will be attempt, and this is me predicting now, to ensure that Obi, Atiku and other big contenders are not on the ballot.
“This that you saw yesterday is just a test. This is not the real place where the whole thing is going. This is me predicting now.
“You know before you have a show you test the microphone. They want to see the reactions of Nigerians. More is still coming.
“You can see how they carry a judgement when ADC won two House of Representatives seats in Kogi, one Kogi House of Assembly seat, APP one chairmanship seat in Jigawa, Zenith Labour party won several seats in Abia, but they still went ahead and issued judgement for deregistration after the Court of Appeal, a higher court, said it should stay on that.
“If we want to deal with this judicial rascality, can I tell you something? The judge that gave this judgment, nothing will happen to him. Nothing on this earth. They are just coming.
“And who is leading this group? Gbajabiamila. Have you forgotten what Gbajabiamila said on Hon Ajibade’s birthday? So they are just coming. This one is just a test. The next one they will do is the NDC.
“With the way they’re going, if Nigerians don’t shine their eyes when they will finally have this election, you will not have the major contenders in the ballot. This thing they have just done is to test reactions from Nigerians.
“I saw this thing coming. You know we are going into an election in which Atiku Abubakar is the only major candidate from the North. It’s not like the last one you have Kwankwaso that can split the Kano votes. And you have Peter Obi and general consensus that a lot of people are in abject penury, insecurity is raging hard.
“This is the beginning of many things. They are just testing the microphone. It’s engineered. More is coming. Nigerians, it is you that will save your democracy. Judicial reforms have become so important as insecurity in Nigeria.”
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has picked former Rivers State Governor and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate.
Announcing the decision, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said Amaechi’s emergence followed broad consultations within the party and reflected his strong performance as runner-up in the party’s presidential primaries as well as his track records of service to his state and the country.
According to the ADC, Amaechi’s extensive experience across both the legislative and executive arms of government, as former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, two-term Governor of Rivers State, and former Minister of Transportation, makes him uniquely qualified to complement Atiku’s leadership, strengthen the party’s national appeal, and bolster its campaign to offer Nigerians an experienced and credible alternative ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The party said the choice of Amaechi underscores its commitment to presenting a leadership team with proven governance experience and national appeal as it prepares for the 2027 presidential contest.
ThisDay
