Polls re-ordering: Senate backs Reps, to override Buhari’s veto

The Senate has expressed its readiness to override President
Muhammadu Buhari’s veto on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which
seeks to re-order the sequence of the polls during general
elections.

The upper chamber of the National Assembly disclosed its
intention to exercise its veto powers should Buhari withdraw assent
to the bill.

Earlier on Wednesday, the House of Representatives had said the
lawmakers would not hesitate to override the President’s decision
if he vetoed the bill. The lower chamber had stated that there was
no going back on the bill, particularly the provision on the
re-ordering of elections ahead of the 2019 polls.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs,
Mr. Abdulrazak Namdas, told our reporter that members would not
change their minds on the Electoral Act as amended, stating that
the National Assembly expected Buhari to append his signature to
the bill.

He had said, “We are serious about this issue and we are not
ready to reverse it. For now, the bill has gone to Mr. President
and we are waiting for his response. If his response is that he
won’t sign, we are ready to override his veto.

“I can assure you that in both chambers of the National
Assembly, we will get the required two-thirds majority to override
the veto.”

Confirming the uniformity of the choice by the two chambers, the
Deputy Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public
Affairs, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, who spoke to our reporter on
Friday, stated that the lawmakers were set to override the
President on the bill.

According to him, the position of the Independent National
Electoral Commission on the amendment was “irrelevant” to the
National Assembly and its legislative functions.

Murray-Bruce said, “If you understand the principle of
separation of powers, you will see that is not necessary. We make
laws for the country. That is our job, to make laws. We make the
law and they obey it. It is non-negotiable. We make laws for the
country and everybody including the executive must obey the laws we
make. It is not for them to decide which laws to obey or which ones
to accept or not.

“If the bill is not signed within 30 days, then we will override
it. It is not important if the President signs it or not. Once it
is 30 days, we will override it. It is irrelevant. They have just
30 days. If he vetoes it in 30 days, we will override him.”

A controversial new Section 25 introduced into the Act changed
the sequence of elections by making the National Assembly elections
to come first, followed by the governorship and state House of
Assembly elections, while the presidential poll will now come
last.

The amendment had passed in both the Senate and the House and
the bill is now awaiting Buhari’s assent.

However, in the elections timetable already released by INEC
before the amendment was passed, the presidential election was
fixed to come first.

Only on Monday, the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had
said that the commission would stick to its timetable and not the
reversed one by the National Assembly.

The Senate has expressed its readiness to override President
Muhammadu Buhari’s veto on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which
seeks to re-order the sequence of the polls during general
elections.

The upper chamber of the National Assembly disclosed its
intention to exercise its veto powers should Buhari withdraw assent
to the bill.

Earlier on Wednesday, the House of Representatives had said the
lawmakers would not hesitate to override the President’s decision
if he vetoed the bill. The lower chamber had stated that there was
no going back on the bill, particularly the provision on the
re-ordering of elections ahead of the 2019 polls.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs,
Mr. Abdulrazak Namdas, told our reporter that members would not
change their minds on the Electoral Act as amended, stating that
the National Assembly expected Buhari to append his signature to
the bill.

He had said, “We are serious about this issue and we are not
ready to reverse it. For now, the bill has gone to Mr. President
and we are waiting for his response. If his response is that he
won’t sign, we are ready to override his veto.

“I can assure you that in both chambers of the National
Assembly, we will get the required two-thirds majority to override
the veto.”

Confirming the uniformity of the choice by the two chambers, the
Deputy Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public
Affairs, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, who spoke to our reporter on
Friday, stated that the lawmakers were set to override the
President on the bill.

According to him, the position of the Independent National
Electoral Commission on the amendment was “irrelevant” to the
National Assembly and its legislative functions.

Murray-Bruce said, “If you understand the principle of
separation of powers, you will see that is not necessary. We make
laws for the country. That is our job, to make laws. We make the
law and they obey it. It is non-negotiable. We make laws for the
country and everybody including the executive must obey the laws we
make. It is not for them to decide which laws to obey or which ones
to accept or not.

“If the bill is not signed within 30 days, then we will override
it. It is not important if the President signs it or not. Once it
is 30 days, we will override it. It is irrelevant. They have just
30 days. If he vetoes it in 30 days, we will override him.”

A controversial new Section 25 introduced into the Act changed
the sequence of elections by making the National Assembly elections
to come first, followed by the governorship and state House of
Assembly elections, while the presidential poll will now come
last.

The amendment had passed in both the Senate and the House and
the bill is now awaiting Buhari’s assent.

However, in the elections timetable already released by INEC
before the amendment was passed, the presidential election was
fixed to come first.

Only on Monday, the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had
said that the commission would stick to its timetable and not the
reversed one by the National Assembly.