Some lawmakers in the Nigerian upper legislative body, the senate, have taken umbrage at the decision of president Muhammadu Buhari to withhold assent to Electoral Amendment Bill.
Recall that president Muhammadu Buhari declined Assent to the Electoral Amendment bill, citing the inclusion of direct primary and the attendant problems of conducting one as the major reason for his decision.
The letter of the bill’s rejection was read on the floor of the house by the Senate President, Dr Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan at Tuesday’s plenary.
However, there are signs that the senators may go ahead with the passage of the Electoral Amendment bill by overriding President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto on the Electoral Amendment Bill, 2021, on Wednesday.
Thompson Sekibo, Senator representing Rivers East Senatorial district and Chairman, Senate Committee Chairman on Nigeria Navy disclosed that signatures of lawmaker were being collated to override President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday.
The lawmaker, in an interview on Tuesday, described President Buhari’s refusal to sign the Electoral Amendment bill into law as a huge disappointment, adding that senators will shed the toga of political affiliation and do the needful.
Sekibo averred that majority of Senators were unhappy with the development, noting that about 73 signatures have so far been garnered ahead of today’s override of President Buhari’s veto.
Though, pampamnews could not independently verify list of Senators who have already signed to override Buhari, a Senator from a Northwest State who is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) said, he and “many more others”, are in on overriding President Buhari’s veto tomorrow.
“We are 109 in number and I can vouch for myself and many others that we form the required number in tomorrow’s plenary to override President Buhari.
He added that the bill was not just about the amendment of direct or indirect primary election, he noted that there are many other provisions that were included in the bill which would aid the country’s political developments and deepen the its democracy
The lawmaker, who pleaded anonymity, disclosed that an emergency meeting of northern Senators may be held before today’s plenary to convince others to see reasons.
