Electoral Act amendment will die natural death, says Ibrahim

The amended Electoral Act which places Senatorial and House of
Representatives polls first in the sequence of elections will die a
natural death, Senate Committee on Police Affairs Chairman Senator
Abu Ibrahim said yesterday.

The Katsina South senator also said President Muhammadu Buhari
would not assent to the bill when it gets to him.

Ibrahim was one of the nine senators who walked out of the
Senate chamber on Wednesday following the adoption of the
conference report which endorsed the alteration of the elections
sequence. The report was prepared by a committee comprising members
of both chambers.

Section 25(i) of the amendment which placed the National
Assembly polls first in the sequence of elections sparked a row in
the Senate on Wednesday.

The amendment also provides that governorship and Houses of
Assembly elections should follow the National Assembly polls; the
presidential election comes last.

Ibrahim described the amendment as unconstitutional especially
when Section 76 of the Constitution is clear on who should fix
elections.

He said the conference committee wrongly believed that there was
an amendment to the Constitution which gave them power to change
the sequence of elections.

The amendment, he said, was never signed into law.

Ibrahim said the Senate’s adoption of the conference report was
an “effort in futility”, adding: “the amendment cannot stand and
the President will not sign it.”

He went on: “When it comes back to us, it will die a natural
death.”

The senator said the National Assembly had no right to usurp the
powers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
under the Constitution to fix elections.

Ibrahim claimed that the amendment was never discussed in the
Senate, saying it came from the House of Representatives for the
concurrence of the upper chamber.

He said: “President Buhari is an institution. We will not add
anything to his electoral value. Some senators do not even
appreciate the fact that they will be in more danger with their
governors if they stand election alone. Some senators may have
problem with their governors but you are arming the governor to
attack you if you stand election alone. You will spend more and be
on your own.

The amended Electoral Act which places Senatorial and House of
Representatives polls first in the sequence of elections will die a
natural death, Senate Committee on Police Affairs Chairman Senator
Abu Ibrahim said yesterday.

The Katsina South senator also said President Muhammadu Buhari
would not assent to the bill when it gets to him.

Ibrahim was one of the nine senators who walked out of the
Senate chamber on Wednesday following the adoption of the
conference report which endorsed the alteration of the elections
sequence. The report was prepared by a committee comprising members
of both chambers.

Section 25(i) of the amendment which placed the National
Assembly polls first in the sequence of elections sparked a row in
the Senate on Wednesday.

The amendment also provides that governorship and Houses of
Assembly elections should follow the National Assembly polls; the
presidential election comes last.

Ibrahim described the amendment as unconstitutional especially
when Section 76 of the Constitution is clear on who should fix
elections.

He said the conference committee wrongly believed that there was
an amendment to the Constitution which gave them power to change
the sequence of elections.

The amendment, he said, was never signed into law.

Ibrahim said the Senate’s adoption of the conference report was
an “effort in futility”, adding: “the amendment cannot stand and
the President will not sign it.”

He went on: “When it comes back to us, it will die a natural
death.”

The senator said the National Assembly had no right to usurp the
powers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
under the Constitution to fix elections.

Ibrahim claimed that the amendment was never discussed in the
Senate, saying it came from the House of Representatives for the
concurrence of the upper chamber.

He said: “President Buhari is an institution. We will not add
anything to his electoral value. Some senators do not even
appreciate the fact that they will be in more danger with their
governors if they stand election alone. Some senators may have
problem with their governors but you are arming the governor to
attack you if you stand election alone. You will spend more and be
on your own.