Nigeria’s National Assembly suspends Amendment of Electoral Act because of court action
Nigeria’s National Assembly has put on hold further legislative action on the letter from President Muhammadu Buhari seeking an amendment to Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act 2022. The decision was based on a court injunction, which temporarily stopped the institution from taking any action on the legislation.
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja on Monday temporarily restrained the National Assembly from deleting or taking any further steps regarding Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act 2022.
Ekwo made the order while delivering ruling in an ex parte application brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the legality of the National Assembly’s decision to amend a bill already signed into law by the president.
Basiru said, “We will study the court judgment and we will get legal advice. At the moment we have not been served. When we are served we will study the order.
“We have legal advisers who will advise us on the position to take. We will take action based on the legal advice.”
Buhari had in his letter urged the National Assembly to expunge the controversial Section 84(12) in the Electoral Act, which mandates government appointees to resign their positions three months ahead of the primary elections of political parties where they would-be delegates.
This, he had said, was in order to deepen democracy in the country. The section particularly barred appointed political office holders from voting or being voted for during conventions and congresses of political parties.
Before Buhari signed the bill into law on February 25, 2022, he was said to have reached an agreement with both the Senate and the House of Representatives for the lawmakers to expunge the section.
However, the leadership of the nation’s apex legislative institution in an exclusive interview with THISDAY, yesterday, said the court order would stall the debate on the document, billed for deliberation today.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ajibola Basiru, confirmed to THISDAY that the National Assembly would refer the court verdict to its team of legal advisers.
