Electoral Act 2022: Senate declines President Buhari’s amendment proposal

The Nigerian Senate has Rejected President Buhari’s proposal for the Amendment of the 2022 Electoral Act passed recently into law.

Majority of Senators at plenary Wednesday opposed the consideration of the Amendment Bill when the Senate leader Senator Abdullahi Yahaya moved a motion for the bill to be considered a second time.

According to the Majority of the lawmakers who were opposed to the Amendment said it would be highly unconstitutional to go against a court ruling on the matter delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.

The Federal High Court it would be recalled had approved an ex-parte application by the People’s Democratic Party preventing President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation, and the Senate President from tampering with the newly amended Electoral Act 2022.

The Senate President had tried to argue that under no circumstance could the Judiciary prevent the National Assembly from performing its legislative functions as it would be considered anarchy.

But the Lawmakers disagreed with the Senate President’s Position, advising him that the Senate should await the outcome of the appeal already filed against the Judgement of the Federal High Court.

The Matter was then put to a Voice Vote, and the Nays had it.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in a letter sent to the National Assembly recently requested that it amends Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act to allow appointees to public offices to vote at party primaries as well as a contest for elective positions without having to resign from office.