An order given on Monday by a Federal High Court in Abuja preventing the National Assembly from re-amending Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act, has failed to stop legislative actions on the contentious clause.
The Senate rejected the order given by Justice Inyang Ekwo and began work on President Muhammadu Buhari’s petitions to reconsider the section.
They passed the Bill titled: “Electoral Act 2022 (Amendment) Bill, 2022.” for first reading.
In the House of Representatives, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, who said he was conscious of the court order, read the communication from the President to his colleagues at plenary.
Gbajabiamila said it was his obligation to read the memo from the President, adding that the intent of the provision may have been misunderstood by many.
After the Bill was passed for the first reading, Senate President Ahmad Lawan drew the attention of his colleagues to the order of the court on the matter.
He, however, insisted that the judiciary cannot stop the legislature from performing its constitutionally-assigned duties just like the National Assembly cannot interfere in judicial matters.
He posits that obeying the order would lead to anarchy in the polity.
