One issue that has refused to leave the nation’s political discourse is President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto of the electoral bill.

THE president through his Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters, Ita Enang on September 3, 2018, announced the President’s decision to decline assent to Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2018. This came barely six months after the President rejected the First Amendment. This also made it the fourth time President Buhari declined his assent to the bill.

ENANG disclosed that the President declined assent to the bill due to some drafting issues that remained unaddressed following the prior revisions to the bill.

AMONG the inconsistencies are cross- referencing errors in the proposed amendment to Section 18 of the bill. The appropriate amendment is to substitute the existing sub – section ( 2 ) with the proposed subsection (1 A) , while the proposed sub -section ( 1 B) is the new sub – section ( 2 A).

THERE is also an issue with the conduct of primaries by political parties and the dates parties should submit names of their candidates to INEC .

THE proposed amendment to include a new Section 87 (14) which stipulates a specific period within which political party primaries are required to be held has unintended consequence of leaving INEC with only nine days to collate and compile lists of candidates as well as manage the primaries of 91 political parties for various elections.

THE Electoral Amendment bill does not amend sections 31, 34 and 85, which stipulate times for the submission of lists of candidates , publication of lists of candidates and notice of convention , congresses for nominating candidates for elections .”

SECTION 87 ( 14 ) of the proposed amendment “states that the dates for the primaries shall not be earlier than 120 days and not later than 90 days before the date of elections to the offices ” which is at variance with Section 31 of the Electoral Act 2010 .

REACTIONS have expectedly trailed president Buhari’s action. The main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has urged the National Assembly to override the President by vetoing the Electoral Act 2010 ( Amendment ) Bill .

ALSO a constitutional lawyer, Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, had written the National Assembly, criticizing President Buhari’s claim for refusing to grant his assent to the bill as baseless. According to him, “2018 amendment is intended to give INEC a legal basis to use Smart Cards and Electronic Technology.” He faulted Buhari’s claim that INEC will not be familiar with the bill if assented to.