President Muhammadu Buhari has again declined ascent to the 2018 Electoral Act
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters ( Senate ) Ita Enang while briefing State House Correspondents Abuja, on Friday, disclosed that the Bill has been returned to the National Assembly
Enang a statement made available to State House Correspondents on Friday, said stated that “ President Muhammadu Buhari has taken decision on Electoral Act Amendment bill 2018.
BusinessDay investigations revealed that this is the fourth time the Electoral Act is being rejected by the President.
It will be recalled that the President had on August 13, 2018 communicated his rejection of the previous being citing” typographical errors”
READ ALSO: Pandemic: Business, communication, and performance
Enang had told Businessday then, that the “ final clean copy of the Bill which was received by President Muhamamdu Buhari on the 24th of July is still undergoing thorough scrutiny by Presidential aides”
He had stated that “ Mr President has not vetoed the bill. What some people are not aware of was that when the second copy was received after the initial rejection, it was discovered that there were typography errors which the National Assembly needed to correct and they did it and sent it back on the 24th of July and this is still being studied before presidential assent”
The reaction cane amidst reports that the President had vetoed the Electoral Acts Amendment bill for the second time in 2018, a development, Enang said was “ not correct”
But Enang said on Friday that the President “ In accordance with his power under the 1999 Constitution and has communicated that decision to the Senate and House of Representatives in accordance with the law.
Asked whether the bill was assented or rejected, he said “the president has taken a decision in a accordance with the powers vested in him according to the constitution. And by convention that decision contained in the communication can only be revealed by the person to whom that decision is addressed. But the electoral bill has left Mr. President because he has taken a decision and has remitted it back.”
Pushed further Enang said, “Thank You very much but this is all the law allows me to say by convention. Mr. President has sent that communication to the National Assembly.”
When asked why he returned the bill back to NASS he said, “the president has communicated his decision to the National Assembly and that is what it is now.”
When asked if it is safe to say he rejected the bill, “it is safe to say that the president has taken decision as allowed by low and has communicated that decision to the senate and the House of Representatives.
When asked the implication of the decision on the 2019 elections, enang said, “The implication of the decision is that the president has taken action on the bill within the time allowed by law. “
He however disclosed that President Buhari “assented to National Open University Amendment Act, which allows the National Open University to operate as all other universities, having the same power and functions and the same administrative structures eliminating possible discrimination as some use to want to have on its products and programmes.”
This will also allow the establishment of some centers to be called study centers and given conditions for the establishment of such study centers.
