Ignore Buhari, Pass Electoral Bill Into Law — Adegboruwa SAN Tells NASS

Human rights lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), has urged the 9th National Assembly to prove its autonomy by passing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law should the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), failed to assent to the bill by Sunday.

The lawyer stated this in an interview with The PUNCH on Friday.

Buhari, who received the bill on November 19, has until December 19 to sign it or communicate to the National Assembly his feelings and comments about the bill.

But if after 30 days, the President refuses to sign the bill and the National Assembly is not in support of the President’s amendments, the Senate and the House of Representatives can recall the bill and pass it.

If the bill is passed in the form it was sent to the President by two-thirds majority votes in both chambers, the bill automatically becomes a law even without the signature of the President.

The President had a few weeks ago written a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission seeking the view of INEC over the matter.
Several Civil Rights Organisations have been putting pressure on the President to sign the bill mainly because it empowers INEC to transmit election results electronically but Buhari on Thursday travelled to Turkey along with his wife and seven ministers.

Also, some have argued that mandatory primaries would create a level playing field for all including women and youths but some governors of the All Progressives Congress have openly opposed the mandatory primaries.

Reacting, Adegboruwa said, “Nigerians have spoken through their elected representatives as to the kind of electoral process that they prefer, the one that is transparent and one that the will of the people will count in the choice of leaders and representatives. These have been the bane of our democratic experience in times past.

“So, if the President has consulted with INEC and INEC has given its readiness for direct primary elections, there is no basis for the President rejecting to assent to the Amended Electoral Bill because doing that will mean that he is no longer doing the will of the people.

“It is clear from the sessions held by the National Assembly and even the civil societies and other stakeholders that this is the choice of Nigerians. Democracy should be a government of the people by the people; it is not a government of the President.

“I would totally be shocked to learn that the President would not assent to this bill because that would be against the will of the people. There is no basis for the President to withdraw his assent to the Amended Electoral Bill but peradventure he does so, it would be an opportunity to test the will of the National Assembly which must remove the toga of being a rubber stamp of the executive.

“This is a golden opportunity for the legislature to assert their independence and autonomy and show to the whole world that indeed that they meant well when they passed this Amended Electoral Bill.

“Should the President withhold his assent, the National Assembly should proceed within 30 days or thereabout when they resume in January and overrun the presidential decision and ensure that the Electoral Bill is passed as a law with or without the President’s assent.

“I am challenging them to prove their autonomy to the people of Nigeria by coming up with a two-third majority and passing the bill into law. We are tired of godfathers to continue to rule our political space, the will of the people must count.”