The Senate yesterday rejected President Muhammdu Buhari’s Bill seeking to amend the Electoral Act, 2022.
The Bill titled: “A Bill for an Act to amend the Electoral Act 2022 and for related matters, 2022,” was overwhelmingly rejected, a development that effectively stopped its second reading and passage.
Section 84 (12) of the Act provides that ‘no political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party.
The implication is that political appointees who wish to participate in their party’s primaries, which will hold between April 4 and June 3, must resign.
The provision is at variance with sections 66, 107, 137 and 182 of the Constitution, which provide that those in public service who wish to contest for political offices must resign 30 days before the date of the election.
The Bill had earlier scaled Tuesday despite an order of a Federal High Court, Abuja that barred the Senate from considering it.
Before the Senate commenced consideration of the Bill yesterday, Senator Adamu Aliero had, while citing order 52(5) of the Senate Standing Rules, urged the Senate President to jettison any proposed action on the Bill.
Aliero, who came under a point of order, drew the attention of his colleagues to the provision of Rule 52(5) of the Senate Standing Order.
Order 52(5) provides: “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.”
“Going ahead to consider the bill obviously will mean that we are disrespecting that order, and this is an institution of the Senate – the symbol of Nigeria’s lawmaking body.
“We should not be seen to be disobeying the court order. No matter how bad that court order is, we should respect it,” Aliero said.
Lawan, however, reiterated his position that only senators may reject the Bill and not the judiciary.
Senators voted overwhelmingly against the Bill to stop it from being read a second time.
