The Forum of Presidential Candidates has endorsed President Buhari’s refusal to assent to the controversial Electoral (Amendment) Bill, suspected hidden agenda on the part of those who wanted to force the president to sign it.
After a consultative meeting they convened yesterday to review recent developments in the polity, the 40 presidential candidates, who are members of the forum, said that they supported President Buhari’s action because
“the time is obviously inauspicious to tinker with the Electoral Bill, especially when the process leading to the 2019 general elections is fully on course.â€
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In a statement signed on their behalf by the presidential candidate of Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance, Alhaji Shitu Mohammed Kabir and his Movement for the Restoration of Democracy counterpart, Mallam Danjuma Muhammad, the presidential candidates said their earlier position had been vindicated that the amendment bill contained “deliberate hurdles†capable of derailing the forthcoming general elections.
The statement reads in part:
“Our position is premised on the fact that we see stumbling blocks against a free and fair election next year. To be specific, the Amended Electoral Bill which stipulates electronic verification of voters and transmission of results will deliberately disenfranchise many voters, especially in the rural and remote areas of the country owing to obvious constraints of power supply and internet connectivity.
“The time left for the 2019 elections is too short for INEC to recruit relevant staff and give them adequate training. We also think that the electoral body may not be in a position to respond fast enough in cases where the electronic devices malfunction. The constraints and impediments of time and resources in difficult terrains will deliberately deny many local communities the opportunity to vote.â€
The presidential candidates said they suspect that those asking President Buhari to sign the amendment bill have a sinister design to derail the electoral calendar.
“We suspect a hidden agenda if the electoral umpire is forced to adjust its programme to accommodate the personnel, budget and other logistics in the guise of abiding with the provisions of the amendment billâ€,
they said. Last week, the forum had filed a suit at a Federal High Court in Abuja, where it prayed the court to stop Buhari from signing the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2018.
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The three plaintiffs, Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance, Allied Peoples Movement and Movement for Restoration and Defence of Democracy, joined the Senate president, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, INEC chairman and the Attorney-General of the Federation ad Minister of Justice as defendants.
No Plan To Override President – Reps Meanwhile, the House of Representatives yesterday spurned reports suggesting that it has commenced moves to override President Muhammodu Buhari on the Electoral Act Amendment bill.
Spokesperson of the House, Hon Abdulrasak Namdas, who spoke with LEADERSHIP last night in a telephone chat, noted that the president acted within his constitutional powers. He added that the lawmakers would examine the reasons adduced by the president before taking any position.
Namdas explained that the House could not have acted on speculations and media reports when it has a laid down procedure of receiving communications from the president. He said,
“The House has an established procedure for receiving communication from the president.
The Speaker will come before members and read the letter addressed to the House through him by the president. Until that is done, I cannot speak about the position of the House. We will await the president’s letter and listen to his reasons; we cannot act on social media reports. “So, we are waiting for the Speaker to read the president’s letter on the floor of the House. That is when officially we will deem it that the president has communicated to usâ€.
Also, a lawmaker from the North East who spoke to our correspondent noted that it would be impossible to override the president’s veto because those who are opposed to his position cannot muster the two-third majority needed. The lawmaker who did not want his name in print said most of the lawmakers seeking re-election from the zone are banking on the goodwill of President Buhari to win elections, and as such they wouldn’t take decisions contrary to the president’s interest.
“Where will they get the number from? Let us assume that they even attempt to override it, their best will remain an attempt.
The reality is that today in the House of Representatives, there is no way those opposed to the president will achieve the two-third majority of 240 members. It is impossible,†he said.
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When pointedly asked if Senate President Bukola Saraki can influence two-third majority of the Red Chamber to override the veto, the lawmakers said,
“Where will Saraki and his cohorts get the two-thirds majority in the Senate? It is not easy. Just as the anti-Saraki forces couldn’t get the two-third to remove him as Senate president, he is not also likely to get the two-third to veto the bill. And don’t forget that the concurrence of both the Senate and House of Representatives is needed to successfully override the president’s veto,â€
he stated.
www.sojworld.com (c) December 10, 2018
www.sojworld.com (c) December 10, 2018
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