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updated 10:20 AM UTC, Dec 13, 2023

President Buhari Withholds Assent To Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2018

Unic Press UK: The Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has decided to withhold assent to the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2018, which was submitted by the National Assembly – the country’s bicameral legislative body.

In a Press Statement yesterday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters, Ita Enang, said that President Buhari had communicated his decision/rationale to the Senate and the House of Representatives via a letter dated August 30, 2018.

‘’Mr. President is ’declining assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill due to some drafting issues that remain unaddressed following the prior revisions to the Bill. A few of the outstanding issues are: ’There is a cross referencing error 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 (1A), while the proposed sub-section (1B) is the new sub-section (2A). 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 the unintended consequence of leaving @inecnigeria with only 9 days to collate and compile lists of candidates and political parties as well manage the primaries of 91 political parties for the various elections. This is because the Electoral Amendment Bill does not amend sections 31, 34 and 85 which stipulates times for the submission of lists of candidates, publication of lists of candidates and notice of convention, congresses for nominating candidates for elections,’’ the Press Statement reads.

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