The Nigerian National Assembly has transmitted the re-amended Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.
President Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Babajide made this known in a statement on Monday.
He explained that the transmission of the bill was in line with the provisions of Section 58 (3) of the 1999 Constitution and the Acts Authentication Act Cap. A2 LFN 2004.
Omoworare stated that the Clerk to the National Assembly, Olatunde Ojo, transmitted the authenticated copies of the bill to the President on Monday.
“The Clerk to the National Assembly Mr Olatunde Amos Ojo has transmitted the authenticated copies of the Electoral Bill 2022 to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari GCFR on 31st January 2022,” he said.
“This was done in accordance with the provisions of Section 58 (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Acts Authentication Act Cap. A2 LFN.
Mr. President had withheld assent to the Electoral Bill 2021 transmitted to him on 19th November 2021. The Electoral Bill was thereafter reworked by the National Assembly and both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed same on 25th January 2022.”
The two chambers, Senate and House of Representatives had passed the harmonised version of the bill last week.
President Buhari had withheld his assent to the bill in November last year, citing direct primary as sole method of nominating candidates for general by political parties as the reason.