Buhari,
has written to the National Assembly to withhold assent to the amendment of the
2010 Electoral Act.
The
letter was read on the floor during plenary by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola
Saraki.
In
a letter addressed to Senate President Bukola Saraki, President Buhari stated
that he is declining assent to the amendment of the Electoral Act because the
amendment to the sequence of the election in section 25 of the principal Act
may infringe on the constitutionally guaranteed discretion of INEC to organize,
undertake and supervise all elections provided in section 16(a) of the
constitution.
He
also stated that the amendment to section 138 of the principal Act to delete
two crucial grounds upon which an election may be challenged by candidates
unduly limits the right of candidates to a free and fair electoral review
process.
President
Buhari further stated that the amendment to section 152(325) of the principal
Act may raise constitutional issues over the competence of the National
Assembly to legislate over local government elections.
Earlier in February,
the Joint Committees of
the National Assembly agreed
on some of the amendments to the Electoral Act.
The
amendment of the electoral act facilitated the collaboration between the joint
committees.
Both the Senate and House
of Representatives agreed to the earlier amendment by the House of
Representatives that the National Assembly election will come first, followed
by governorship and state Houses of Assembly and finally the Presidential
election which will now come last.
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