There are indications that the presidency is in dilemma over the re-amended 2010 Electoral Act amendment bill 2022 that was resent by the National Assembly.
Indeed, Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Babajide Omoworare at a Policy Dialogue programme, organised by National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies ( NILDS) on Thursday in Abuja said President Muhammadu Buhari is seeking consultations from the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami on the way forward.
He said “A very crucial consultation is going on between Mr President, the Attorney General and other critical stakeholders on content of the bill for the required assent.
“If not for this programme, I suppose to be at the very important meeting, believed to be the major determinant for the fate of the bill”, he said.
He however assured Nigerians that the bill will most likely be assented to by the President since issues earlier raised by him in the 2021 edition, were elaborately addressed by both chambers of the National Assembly last month.
Continuing, he said “Personally, I think in few days time, Mr President will do the needful since the most contentious aspect of the bill, had been addressed in the reworked one transmitted to him on Monday, January 31, 2022.
“Time as it is, is of essence but I believe that Mr President will do the needful “.
The Director -General of NILDS, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman in his remarks said the Dialogue was convened in gaining insights from stakeholders into the issues likely to shape the conduct of political parties, political gladiators, contestants and other issues.
Virtually all the discussants at the policy dialogue from the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, Country Representative of Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Adebowale Olorunmola and the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Media, Hon Benjamin Kalu, appealed to President Buhari to assent the bill without further delay.
