The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday rejected a Bill sponsored by President Muhammadu Buhari seeking to amend the newly assented Electoral Act 2022.
The Bill entitled” A Bill for an Act to amend the Electoral Act 2022 and for related matters,2022″ was rejected by the Senators leading to obstruction of second reading and passage
An order of the Federal High Court, Abuja had barred the Senate from considering the bill but despite that, the Senate considered the bill on Tuesday enabling it to scale first reading.
The Court Presided by Justice Inyang Ekwo ,in an ex- parte application by the Peoples Democratic Party PDP barred President Muhammadu Buhari, Attorney General of the Federation and the Senate President from tampering with the newly amended Electoral Act,2022.declaring that the Electoral Act 2022, having become a valid law could not be altered without following the due process of the law.
Regardless, the Senate President Ahmed Lawan challenged the court order saying that the judiciary cannot in any way stop the Legislature from performing its constitutional duties
At Wednesday’s plenary, Senator Adamu Aliero( APC Kebbi) raising a point of Order, citing order 52(3) of the Senate Standing Rules on pending judicial decisions, urged the Senate President to reject further action on the Bill but the Senate President disagreed and went ahead to push it forward.
The Senate President said,To be specific to this particular request, for us in the Senate,it is for us to look at the request and follow our due process.
” Looking at the request does not mean granting the request, Members of the National Assembly are at Liberty to review the request to see if the arguments by the Executive arm of government are convincing enough.
” If the arguments are not convincing enough, the National Assembly can deny the request, and that is how it is. We have not encumbrance from that order”.
The Senators however voted overwhelmingly against the Bill stopping it from advancing to second reading.
