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  • Electoral Bill, 1999 Constitution Review Will Top NASS Agenda In New Year – Lawan

    Electoral Bill, 1999 Constitution Review Will Top NASS Agenda In New Year – Lawan

    The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has assured Nigerians that the Electoral Act amendment Bill and review of the 1999 constitution will be topmost on the National Assembly’s agenda when the lawmakers reconvene in 2022.

    He gave the assurance on Friday in his New Year message to Nigerians, saying the lawmakers would find a way forward after President Muhammadu Buhari withheld his assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

    According to Lawan, the lawmakers are determined to deliver an Electoral Act that stands the test of time in safeguarding democracy and the electoral process in the country.

    He hinted that they would also receive the report of the Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution upon resumption from recess, adding that the outcome of the exercise would promote unity, stability, and peaceful coexistence among the people.

    The Senate President encouraged Nigerians not to lose hope in the nation and its democratic institutions, saying the current challenges would be overcome.

    He stressed that the ninth National Assembly would never be distracted from the implementation of its legislative agenda, promising that many more bills would be passed in the new year.

    Read the full text of Lawan’s message below:

    I congratulate fellow Nigerians everywhere as we cross over from 2021 into a happy and prosperous 2022.

    I join you in thanking the Almighty God for His mercy that made the crossover possible for us as individuals and as a nation.

    The Year 2021 was challenging for people all over the world. It is praiseworthy that beyond the challenges, we can see the rays of a bright future from the new year.

    As your elected representatives, our new year pledge is to continue to pursue our common desire of a just, peaceful, and prosperous country. We promise to continue to discharge this responsibility without fear or malice, confident that by working in harmony, Nigerians will build the great country that is their abiding dream and manifest destiny.

    Without a doubt, insecurity is today one of our biggest challenges. However, I can attest that the government is resolutely addressing these challenges.

    As a critical contribution to that effort, the National Assembly has appropriated more funds in the 2022 budget to enhance the operational capabilities of our security agencies.

    My message to fellow Nigerians is that we should not lose faith in our country and its democratic institutions. The current challenges will be overcome and become mere footnotes in our glorious national history.

    The ninth National Assembly is focused and will never be distracted from the implementation of its Legislative Agenda as we had spelt out following our inauguration in 2019.

    Within the context of that Agenda, we have passed many critical bills and have many more to roll out in the new year.

    At the beginning of 2021, we made specific promises to the Nigerian people with respect to our legislative focus. We are proud that we have kept those promises.

    For instance, breaking the jinx of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which had defied passage for about two decades, was high on our agenda in 2021. With the cooperation of the Executive and the support of the key stakeholders, we were able to break the jinx. We passed the bill and got it signed into law in 2021.

    This piece of legislation will significantly impact the Nigerian economy and propel a significant turnaround in our oil and gas sector.

    It was with the same spirit of patriotism that we handled the Electoral Act amendment bill. We believe that sustainable democratic governance requires a transparent and credible electoral process.

    Following the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to withhold assent to the bill, we shall make further consultations on the issues he stated for that decision, on our resumption of plenary in January.

    We shall find a way forward on this critical legislation in the new year. We are determined to deliver an Electoral Act that stands the test of time in safeguarding democracy and the electoral process in Nigeria.

    We are also looking forward to receiving the report of our Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution upon our resumption from recess. We believe that the outcome of this very important exercise will promote unity, stability, and peaceful coexistence in our country.

    The Electoral Act amendment bill and review of the 1999 constitution will be topmost on our agenda as we reconvene for Legislative business in the new year.

    Upon our inauguration in 2019, the ninth National Assembly had promised to reset the national budget calendar to January to December cycle, to make our fiscal system predictable and consistent with international best practice.

    We have since 2019 passed the national yearly budget every December to enable the President sign it into law before the new year. In consistent with this, on Friday 31st December 2021, we witnessed the signing into law by the President, the 2022 Appropriation Bill.

    Timely passage of the budget enhances the performance of the economy and has specifically aided our recent quick recovery from recession. We are determined to sustain this trajectory to act as an impetus to our economic planning and projection.

    The much that we have been able to accomplish this far can be attributed to the commitment and dedication of my fellow Distinguished colleagues and Honourable members and the prevailing atmosphere of cordiality between the National Assembly and the Executive. We intend to sustain and even improve on this in the new year and beyond.

    I appeal for continued understanding and support of all Nigerians for the government at all levels. As your legislators at the federal level, we will continue in the true spirit of our mantra to “work for Nigeria.”

    Once again, I wish us all a happy, prosperous and peaceful 2022.

    Signed:

    Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan PhD, CON,

    President of the Senate,

    Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    Friday, 31st December 2021

  • Electoral Bill: Buhari, APC ganging up to destroy democracy – Gov Fintiri

    Electoral Bill: Buhari, APC ganging up to destroy democracy – Gov Fintiri

    President Muhammadu Buhari is working in cohort with his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to destroy democracy by scuttling the Electoral Act, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State has said.

    Fintiri said at an event in Mubi, a principal town in the northern part of the state, that Buhari refused to sign the Electoral Act duly passed by the National Assembly for fear that it would not favour the APC come the general elections in 2023.

    “We are not surprised because of the level of decadence that this federal government has brought into our system: destruction of our economy, destruction in infrastructures, security and youth development.

    “Now, again they are ganging up to destroy our democracy by encouraging the President not to assent to the electoral bill because they are afraid of 2023.”

    Fintiri made the statement after receiving members of the APC in Mubi who decamped to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying, “We are here in the city of Mubi, the commercial headquarters of Adamawa, to receive back into our fold those decamping from the APC who are contented with the infrastructural development of the PDP under my watch.”

    He advised Nigerians to come together to stop the “conspiracy of some stalwarts of the APC who are scheming to destroy the country’s democracy and development.”

    Fintiri stressed, “We have to come together as a people to fight and rescue our democracy because it is the only way out.”

    Those who officially decamped from APC to the PDP in Mubi included a member of the State House of Assembly, Musa Bororo.

  • Electoral Bill: Buhari Snubs NASS Declines Assent

    Electoral Bill: Buhari Snubs NASS Declines Assent

    Members of the National Assembly last night expressed reservations as President Muhammadu Buhari refused to act on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill presented to him for assent by the legislature, 30 days ago.

    The 30-day window for President Buhari to assent the bill elapsed last night. As of the time of filing this story, there was no official communication to the parliament and Nigerians from the presidency on the fate of the much-anticipated bill.

    Both the Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila, had at different times met with President Buhari over the bill and expressed confidence that he would assent to it.

    Some of the lawmakers knocked the president, who returned to the country from Istanbul, Turkey, where he attended the third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit, hosted by the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

    The National Assembly had, on November 19, transmitted the bill to President Buhari for assent in line with the constitutional provision.

    Section 58 (4) of the 1999 Constitution says, “Where a bill is presented to the President for assent, he shall within 30 days thereof signify that he assents or that he withholds assent.”

    While the political and civil society actors waited with bated breath for the president’s action on the bill, it emerged last week that the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), had written a letter to Buhari, highlighting the problems with the inclusion of mandatory direct primaries in the Electoral Act amendment bill.

    He informed the president that making direct primaries mandatory for all political parties could cause confusion.

    A source told Daily Trust Sunday that the president will communicate to the leadership of the parliament today, where he is expected to raise reservation with clause 87, which provides for direct primary.

    There has been a cold war between federal lawmakers and governors over the inclusion of direct primaries in the bill, with the latter mounting pressure on the president to reject the provision.

    Various Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Sunday asked the parliament to override the president’s veto to pass the bill into law.

    Recalled that in June 2000, the National Assembly passed the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) bill with over two-thirds majority, thus overriding President Olusegun Obasanjo’s veto.

    A cross section of senators told Daily Trust Sunday that before they embark on the end of the year recess this week, a decision would be taken on the electoral bill should the president withhold assent.

    A Senator close to the presiding officers, said they are yet to receive any communication from the president regarding the bill.

    Speaking to one of our correspondents, the lawmaker said action would be taken when the president communicates his decision on the bill to them.

    “For sometimes, there have been pressure that we should invoke the 2/3 rule as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution if the president fails to assent it. Discussions are on along this line but there are a lot of things that would be looked at before we can arrive at anything,” he said.

    Another ranking lawmaker said the president was being misled by his handlers to cause confusion in the polity.

    “He would not assent to it because he is being misled by people around him and he likes to hear that. They are doing this to cause confusion in the polity. It would be difficult for us to override the president’s veto because we cannot get the 2/3,” he said last night.

    But Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC, Kano), expressed optimism that the president will act on the bill.

    Another senator who spoke to one of our correspondents said, “We passed the bill to strengthen the country’s democratic process, especially the conduct of our elections. From reactions that trailed the passage, it shows that majority of Nigerians are in support of the bill.

    “Certain people, very few in number, who are not comfortable with some sections of the bill are expressing reservations. We, in the National Assembly, will continue to act in the interest of the majority of Nigerians, who we represent. Our action on the electoral bill will not be different. Nigerians should wait patiently.”

    Another senator, referring to state governors, said “They tried to lobby us to rescind our decision on direct primary but failed. They now transferred the pressure on the president to reject the bill.”

    He said if the process of conducting primary elections is optional, elective offices would be populated with incompetent cronies.

    Senate spokesperson, Senator Ajibola Basiru declined to comment on possible options the Red Chamber is weighing on the electoral bill after the expiration of the 30-day timeline.

    Asked further on what Nigerians should expect from the Senate should Buhari decline assent, he said; “I don’t have any comment on it,” and hung off.

    Rep Tanko Sununu (APC, Kebbi) while responding to questions on the matter said it was too early for him to make comments since the president was yet to communicate to House on whether he has assented or declined assent.

    “For me, I won’t say the president has turned down assent or has assented because, there are formal channels of communication of which by Tuesday’s sitting, we should be able to know whether the president has assented or not.

    “And that will definitely guide the decision the House will take. I don’t want to preempt what the president has done or has not done. Had it been he has not assented to and it is made public, then I can comment”, he said.

    Speaking in the same vein, a lawmaker from the South South geopolitical zone, said it would be preemptive to begin to comment on the next move of the lawmakers since it has not been ascertained that the president has withheld his assent.

    Rep Babangida Ibrahim (APC, Katsina), said, “The President must communicate whether he assented to the bill or not. You know Saturdays and Sundays are not working days. So, you cannot say whether he has rejected it or not.”

    Presidential aides on National Assembly, Senator Babajide Omoworare (Senate) and Umar Ibrahim El-Yakub were unavailable for comments last night.

    Override president, CSOs urge lawmakers

    The Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), and also Coordinator, Transparency International (TI) in Nigeria, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said the National Assembly members, as the representatives of Nigerians, have done well in passing the majority wish of the citizens to the president.

    He said that it is left for the lawmakers to prove to Nigerians that they are not rubber stamp, as claimed by Senate President Ahmad Lawan, by overriding President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto.

    “The president’s interest should not override Nigerians’ and national interest. It is disheartening that the president who lamented that he was a victim of political corruption before emerging president, has not sent any bill to the National Assembly to deepen democracy and is not keen on acting in the interest of tackling political corruption by signing the Electoral Amendment bill sent to him the National Assembly,” he said.

    Also speaking, the Convener, Good Governance Team (GGT), Mr. Tunde Salman, urged the National Assembly to override the presidential veto at least to pass a strong message that the current Assembly is not a rubber stamp legislature as widely believed.

    “I am not comfortable that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) would now be serving as a clearing house for bills passed by the National Assembly. Where was his office, when the amendments procedures were being considered, to make his inputs?” Salman said.

    On her part, the Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Idayat Hassan, noted that President Buhari has a penchant for rejecting electoral bills.

    She said between 2017 and 2018, the president declined the bills four times giving reasons ranging from controversial clauses to time frame under the ECOWAS’s supplementary protocol as his reasons.

    Hassan said, “This fifth rejection will be one too many. The president was a beneficiary of an improved electoral landscape including law and election management body. So, he must bequeath the same as legacies to Nigeria. A refusal to sign the electoral bill because of direct primaries will militate against forward-looking provisions such as the electronic transmission of results.

    “What exactly is bad in doing direct primaries if it will open up the political space for women, youth and other historically marginalised categories? We can only hope that the lawmakers can show they are true representatives of the people, not their political parties and go ahead to veto. The 312 votes needed should be a walkover but it may be a pipe dream for us as citizens.”

    On their part, a coalition of CSOs said that the president’s delay in signing the bill has created unpalatable suspense and generated avoidable apprehension, although his inaction may not be the final call after December 19.

    This was contained in a joint statement by Ariyo-Dare Atoye, Executive Director, Adopt A Goal Initiative; Jude Feranmi, Convener, Raising New Voices Initiative; Maryam Ahmed, Programme Officer, Center For Liberty; Kenneth Eze, Convener, Speak Out Africa Initiative; Simi Olusola, Executive Director, The Nigerian Alliance; and Obinna Eze Nwagbara, Executive Director, Youth and Students Advocates for Development Initiative (YSAD).

    They said, “This will not be the first time in the last 20 years that the National Assembly will override the president; the 4th legislative session did so and got the NDDC Act passed and operational. The 9th National Assembly has the opportunity of not sharing with the executive the glory that will accompany the new act.”

  • Why Buhari is reluctant to assent to Electoral bill – Falana

    Why Buhari is reluctant to assent to Electoral bill – Falana

    Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says some governors in the All Progressives Congress (APC) are influencing President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision not to assent to the electoral bill.

    On November 19, TheCable had reported that the national assembly transmitted the electoral act amendment bill to the president for assent.

    According to the constitution, the president has 30 days within which he is expected to assent to the bill.

    However, according to law, the national assembly can override Buhari by a two-third vote in a case where no action is taken by the president on the bill.

    In the case of the electoral bill, the deadline for the presidential assent is December 19.

    Speaking on the development on Wednesday, Falana said the president is reluctant to assent to the bill due to pressure from some governors who are worried about certain amendments in the electoral act.

    He said the governors, who are in the ruling party, are concerned about the provision of electronic voting, which he alleged would make election manipulation difficult.

    “The president is reluctant to give assent to the bill because the powerful governors in his party, the ruling party, are saying it is going to be much more expensive for them to run direct primaries,” he said.

    “Therefore, throw away the baby and the bath water. But where they’re actually going is that those governors have not recovered from the shock of having electronic vote. They know manipulation will be reduced to the minimum.

    “That’s why they are asking the president to throw away that bill. They aren’t saying ‘take it back to the national assembly so that the area of direct primaries can be removed’.

    “The bill can be rejected only on one ground. The 2018 bill was rejected by the president on the ground that it’s too close to the 2019 election. Now, the president may also say signing this bill now may be too close to the election and might cause confusion.”

  • Gov Udom Seeks Electoral Bill Passage To Build Nigerians’ Confidence

    Gov Udom Seeks Electoral Bill Passage To Build Nigerians’ Confidence

    Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, has appealed to the National Assembly to rebuild the confidence of Nigerians in it and demonstrate its sincerity with the constitutional review by first passing the pass the pending Electoral Bill.

    He made the call on Wednesday when he received members of the Special House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution for the South-South states after the second day of the public hearing for Rivers, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom States in Uyo, the state capital.

    Governor Emmanuel stated that the Electoral Bill was a yearning of the people that must be prioritised and called on the Legislative and Executive arms of the Federal Government to expedite actions to bring the bill alive.

    He opined that this would remedy the seeming apathy of Nigerians towards the Constitution review process.

    “As we are working on the Constitution review, Nigerians will want to see the sincerity of the National Assembly.

    “If you want us to believe this exercise, give us the Electoral Bill as soon as possible and let the Executive sign it into law, then we will believe that this one will also see the light of day,” the governor said.

    He commended the Speaker of the ninth Assembly for the relative harmony in the House of Representatives and the selection of members to pilot the review process in the South-South.

    According to Governor Emmanuel, as important as the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is, the most important and urgent at the moment is the Electoral Bill.

    He called on the Red and Green chambers of the National Assembly to consider the plea as the yearning of over 200 million Nigerians.

    The governor said the agitation by people in the South-South region would be unnecessary if the Federal Government could avoid some outright violations of the laws governing the running of its institutions in the region.

    “We cannot enjoy peace as a country if we cannot even obey the simple rule of law we put in place; we need to build back hope and confidence in our people, we need to let people know that we do listen to them,” he stated.

    In his remarks, the Chairman of the Special Committee and House Minority Whip, Gideon Gwani, thanked Governor Emmanuel for the hospitality accorded the lawmakers.

    He explained that setting up the committee became necessary to address the challenges confronting the nation and to chart a course towards a new Constitution that would guarantee the fundamental freedom of Nigerians.

    “Nigeria is a great country but currently, we are going through challenging times; we are battling insecurity, dwindling economy, and the resurgence of fear of ethnic domination which led our country to civil war several years ago, which have continued to plague every aspect of our national life.

    “As a nation, we need to take a pause and also appraise our terms of social contract, our mode and system of government, and the only way to legally respond to those calls is via constitutional amendment,” said Gwani who represents Kaura Federal Constituency of Kaduna State.

  • Electoral Bill: Civil groups urge NASS to expedite action on 10 points priority areas

    Electoral Bill: Civil groups urge NASS to expedite action on 10 points priority areas

    By Mike Oboh

    The 10 points priorities on electoral amendment by the National Assembly has been described as a commendable effort which will lead to the delivering of a new electoral act for Nigerians in the first quarter of this year.

    In a statement signed by the Director of Programs, Yiaga Africa, Cynthia Mbamalu on behalf of the civil groups on Thursday, stated that the outlined priority areas are consistent with the tenets of good governance and democratic consolidation and provide Nigerian citizens, especially young people, women and people living with disabilities, with the needed confidence in trusting our electoral outcome.

    The Civil groups said adopting these priorities will elevate Nigeria’s standing globally amongst other nations using the instrumentality of the Law to build their electoral democracy and achieve stability and peace.

    In the letter sent to the National Assembly the group urged the lawmakers to become a reference point for genuine change, through their support of these citizen’s priorities, by ensuring its reflectiveness in the proposed Electoral Amendment Bill.

    “Posterity will reckon with you as we work together to reform our Electoral Act for an electoral process that guarantees credible, free and fair elections in Nigeria” she stated.

    She assured them of their solidarity and support in the joint quest for the democratic consolidation and development of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “We recognize and deeply appreciate your tireless efforts and that of every member of the National Assembly, particularly all members of the Senate and House of Representatives Joint-Committee on INEC and Electoral Matters in ensuring a new Electoral Act is delivered to Nigerians in the first quarter of 2021.

    “These genuine efforts and partnership with citizens’ have culminated into various wide-ranging recommendations, amongst which are certain priorities that truly respond to our aspirations as a people working to build our electoral democracy. These Citizen’s top 10 Priorities on the Electoral Act Amendment are highlighted in the document included.

    “Strengthen the financial Independence of the Commission, Publication of polling unit level results by INEC, Protecting the voting rights of Visually impaired and Incapacitated Voters, Cost of Nomination of Candidates, Promoting the inclusion of women, youth, and persons living with disability in politics, Legitimize the use of technology in the electoral process through electronic accreditation of voters, electronic voting and electronic collation and transmission of results, Stiffer Sanctions for Electoral Offences, Regulation of the Conduct of Security Personnel on Election Duty, Early voting for Nigerians on essential election duty and Voting Rights for Nigerians in Diaspora” she added.

    The National Assembly through its Joint-Committee on INEC and Electoral Matters called a public hearing on the Bill for ‘An Act to Repeal the Electoral Act No 6, 2010 (As Amended) and Enact the Independent National Electoral Commission Act 2020’ on 9th December 2020.

    The public hearing provided citizens with a platform to outline their demands and make inputs into the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

    The public hearing was another testament to the 9th National Assembly’s commitments towards reforming the nation’s electoral system and process and ensuring that a new citizen-responsive Electoral Act is activated in a considerably good time.

    The group included, Albino Foundation, Centre for Citizens with Disability, Center for Liberty, CLEEN Foundation, Institute for Media and Society, International Press Centre, NESSACTION, Nigeria Women’s Trust Fund, Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism, Millennials Active Citizenship, Advocacy Africa and Raising New Voices