Buhari loyalists urge President to veto revised poll timetable

President Muhammadu Buhari’s loyalists, under the aegis of
Buhari Support Organisation, Enugu State Chapter, have urged him to
veto the revised election timetable, which was adopted by the
Senate on Wednesday.

According to the fresh poll timetable, as revised by the Senate
and the House of Representatives Conference Committee on the
Amendment to the Electoral Act, the 2019 elections will commence
with that of the National Assembly, followed by governorship and
State Houses of Assembly polls, while the presidential election
comes last.

However, the Buhari loyalists, in a statement made available to
journalists in Enugu on Thursday, said the revision of the election
timetable was ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘in bad faith’.

Publicity Secretary, BSO, Enugu State Chapter, Eze Chibueze, who
signed the statement, said there were no valid and altruistic
reasons for the revision of the poll timetable.

The statement said, “We call on Mr. President to veto the Bill
and distinguished senators and House members to support the
veto.

“If there were valid or altruistic reasons behind the
unnecessary tampering with the sequence published by INEC, the
National Assembly should have truly posited a bottom – top model of
the House of Assembly, the governorship, the National Assembly and
last the President.”

Chibueze added that the National Assembly infringed on the
powers of the Independent National Electoral Commission by revising
the poll sequence.

“Buhari Support Organisation, Enugu State Chapter, condemns in
its entirety, the unconstitutional amendment of Section 25 of the
2010 Electoral Act by both the Senate and House of
Representatives.

“The amendment no doubt infringes upon the constitutional powers
vested on the Independent National Electoral Commission by the 1999
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

“We view the amendment as one done in bad faith, hence erosion
of INEC’s powers as an electoral umpire which had already issued
sequence and order of the 2019 general elections – National
Assembly/President, and State Assembly/Governorship elections.

“We are at a loss and yet to locate the economic, patriotic or
any valid reason for infringing on the Constitution which, in the
Third Schedule, expressly bestows INEC with the powers to organise,
undertake and supervise all elections to the offices of the
President and Vice President, the Governor and Deputy Governor, and
to the membership of the Senate, the House of Representatives and
the House of Assembly of each State of the Federation.

“The fact and the law is that sequence of elections is an
integral component of organisation and supervision of elections,
which are the primary functions of INEC.”

President Muhammadu Buhari’s loyalists, under the aegis of
Buhari Support Organisation, Enugu State Chapter, have urged him to
veto the revised election timetable, which was adopted by the
Senate on Wednesday.

According to the fresh poll timetable, as revised by the Senate
and the House of Representatives Conference Committee on the
Amendment to the Electoral Act, the 2019 elections will commence
with that of the National Assembly, followed by governorship and
State Houses of Assembly polls, while the presidential election
comes last.

However, the Buhari loyalists, in a statement made available to
journalists in Enugu on Thursday, said the revision of the election
timetable was ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘in bad faith’.

Publicity Secretary, BSO, Enugu State Chapter, Eze Chibueze, who
signed the statement, said there were no valid and altruistic
reasons for the revision of the poll timetable.

The statement said, “We call on Mr. President to veto the Bill
and distinguished senators and House members to support the
veto.

“If there were valid or altruistic reasons behind the
unnecessary tampering with the sequence published by INEC, the
National Assembly should have truly posited a bottom – top model of
the House of Assembly, the governorship, the National Assembly and
last the President.”

Chibueze added that the National Assembly infringed on the
powers of the Independent National Electoral Commission by revising
the poll sequence.

“Buhari Support Organisation, Enugu State Chapter, condemns in
its entirety, the unconstitutional amendment of Section 25 of the
2010 Electoral Act by both the Senate and House of
Representatives.

“The amendment no doubt infringes upon the constitutional powers
vested on the Independent National Electoral Commission by the 1999
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

“We view the amendment as one done in bad faith, hence erosion
of INEC’s powers as an electoral umpire which had already issued
sequence and order of the 2019 general elections – National
Assembly/President, and State Assembly/Governorship elections.

“We are at a loss and yet to locate the economic, patriotic or
any valid reason for infringing on the Constitution which, in the
Third Schedule, expressly bestows INEC with the powers to organise,
undertake and supervise all elections to the offices of the
President and Vice President, the Governor and Deputy Governor, and
to the membership of the Senate, the House of Representatives and
the House of Assembly of each State of the Federation.

“The fact and the law is that sequence of elections is an
integral component of organisation and supervision of elections,
which are the primary functions of INEC.”