President Buhari Signs Electoral Bill: Here Is What It Means To Nigeria

Abuja – Today, President Mohammadu signed signed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law.

The President assented to the bill at past midday on Friday at a brief ceremony held at the Council Chamber of the Aso Villa in Abuja.

Read What The Electoral Bill Means To Nigeria Here.

Solutation Transcript

Shall we be seated please, your excellency, Mr. President, your excellency the president of the senate speaker, house of representatives chairman, Nigeria Governor’s Forum, Chairman of the Senate and House of Representatives Committee on INEC, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief of Staff to the President, Chairman, Inter-party Advisory Council, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, senior government officials, distinguished ladies and gentlemen.

Transcript for introducing Buhari

Mr. President, as the nation prepares for the next general elections in 2023, one of the instruments that will enhance the integrity of that exercise and enrich our electoral practices is the enabled law guiding it. The electoral act amendment bill 2022, which was recently passed by the national assembly, is now ready for presidential ascension. The fullness of time has now come.

The Transcript of President Buhari as he Signs Electoral Bill.

Thank you, the president of the senate speaker house of representatives chairman nigerian governors forum chairman senate and house of representative committee on INEC secretary to the government of the federation chief of staff chairman inter-party advisory council chairman independent national electoral commission distinguished ladies and gentlemen the electoral act amendment bill 2022 passed by the national assembly awarded for presidential assent where dated 31st January 2022 the land was established tradition I received inputs from relevant ministries departments and agencies of government after a careful and thorough reviews of the bill and its implications to democratic processes in our country it is gratifying to note that the current bill comes with a great deal of improvement from the previous electoral bill 2021 there are salient and praiseworthy provisions that could positively revolutionize elections in Nigeria through the introduction of new technological innovations these innovations would guarantee the constitutional rights of citizens to vote and to do so effectively the bill will also improve and engender clarity effectiveness transparency of the election processes as well as reduce the barrels to the various minimum incidence of acrimony arising from dissatisfied candidates and political parties these commendable efforts are aligned with our policy to decrease Australia as a retained land demand legal very much that saves the way of acronym incredible arising sound electoral processes that we will all be proud of distinguished senators and honorable members of the national assembly from the review it is my perspective that the substance of the build is both informative and progressive i am making this bold declaration because i foresee the great potentials of the bill worthy of note includes the democratic efficacy of the bill whose particular reference to sections 3 sections 9 subsection 2 section 34 section 41 section 47 section 84 sub section 9 10 and 11 among others this however cannot be said about one provision is contained in the proposed bill which provision constitutes fundamental defect as it is in conflict with extinct constitutional provisions sections section 84 subsection 12 constitutes a disenfranchisement of seven political office holders from voting or being voted for at conventions or congresses of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election in cases where it holds earlier than 30 days to the national election the section provides as follows no political appointee at any level shall be voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election this provision has introduced qualification and disqualification criteria that ultraviolet the constitution by way of importing blanket restriction and the disqualification to southern political office holders of which they are constitutionally accorded protection the practical application of section 84 subsection 12 of the electoral bill 2022 will if assented to by operation of law subject serving political office holders to inhibitions and restrictions referred to under section 40 and 42 of the 1999 constitution as amended it is imperative to note that the only constitutional expectation placed on southern political office holders that qualify by extension as public officers within the context of the constitution his regula resignation with role of retirement at least 30 days before the date of the election hence it will be stretching things beyond the constitutional limit to import extraneous restriction into the constitution on account of practical application of section 8 4 subsection 12 of the bill where political parties conventions and congresses were to hold earlier the certities to the election arising from the foregoing with particular regards to the benefits of the bill industry time sources and energy committed in its passage i hereby ascend to the bill and request the national assembly to consider immediate amendments that will bring the bill in tune with constitutionality by way of deleting section 84 subsection 12 accordingly thank you and May God bless our dear country thank you excellency Mr president senator Omar area will present the bill for signing and to join Mr president during the signing are the following personalities to his left will be his excellency the senate president the speaker house of representatives and chairman of senate and house committee on INEC chairman senate and INEC committee on INEC took Mr president’s lift and to Mr president’s right will be the secretary to the government of the federation and the chief of staff to the president thank you hey thank you.