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Electoral Bill: It’s Incorrect To Say NASS Did Shoddy Job – Senate Spokesman

The Senate spokesman, Ajibola Basiru, has faulted claims that the National Assembly did a poor job with the Electoral Act Amendment Bill


A file photo of the National Assembly complex in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

 

The Senate spokesman, Ajibola Basiru, has faulted claims that the National Assembly did a poor job with the Electoral Act Amendment Bill

He made the comment during a town hall meeting organised by a civil society body, Yiaga Africa, on Sunday.

President Muhammadu Buhari had declined assent to the bill citing the direct primaries clause which he said goes against the “spirit of democracy” while some civil society organisations had also faulted the bill.

But the Senate spokesman said claims of errors in the bill are incorrect.

“It is very important to set this in context. I find some of the issues discussed here interesting — they are taking issues of legislation to be pedestrian work,” he said during the programme aired on Channels Television.

“I want to also say that it is not correct that the National Assembly has done shoddy work on the electoral bill and I take that with seriousness to say that out of 185 sections of the bill, we have a problem with one section.

“Taking the issue of cross-referencing to the level of the National Assembly doing a shoddy job, we don’t have any business being there if the bill is not worthy of consideration.”

A file photo of Senator Ajibola Bashiru. Credit: Facebook/Ajibola Bashiru

 

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Before now, several reactions have trailed President Buhari’s move. Governors and other lawmakers have also voiced their concerns about the development.

For the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the President’s decline of assent is a setback to the country’s democracy.

“It is apparent that the APC and the Buhari Presidency were never committed to the amendment of the Electoral Act to ensure credible elections and as such, triggered the controversy of the mode of primaries by political parties as a camouflage to scuttle the entire amendment bill, including provisions for electronic transmission of results among others,” the party said late December.