Polls: Senate begins move to override Buhari’s veto

* Panel to probe allegation of bribery

THE Senate yesterday began the process of overriding President
Muhammadu Buhari’s veto to the amendment of the Electoral Act,
2018.

The upper chamber reintroduced the “Electoral Act 2010
(Amendment) Bill, 2018”.

The Bill, tagged: SB 645, and sponsored by Chairman, Senate
Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission, Senator
Suleiman Nazif, scaled first reading seamlessly.

It was on a day the Senate mandated its Committee on Ethics,
Privileges and Public Petitions to investigate alleged attempts to
compromise senators and House of Representatives members to abandon
plans to override the President’s veto.

A number of senators in support of the Bill insisted that it was
wrong for Buhari to withhold assent to the proposed
legislation.

Others opposed to the Bill saw it as targeted at the President
and vowed to scuttle it.

Insiders said the lawmakers will pass the Bill once again as it
was done before the President withheld his assent.

The most contentious section of the Bill is the reordering of
election sequence, which placed the presidential election last in
the order of election in the country.

The reintroduction of the Bill is coming at a time allegations
of bribery to scuttle the override of the veto were making the
rounds.

President Buhari withheld assent to the Electoral Act Amendment
Bill, 2018, on the excuse that his assent would infringe on the
constitutional powers of INEC.

The President, in a letter to the Senate President, Bukola
Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara,
said giving assent to the Bill would make the National Assembly
appear as if it was legislating for the states on local
government-related issues.

It was not known how far the Senate can go in its determination
to override the President’s veto to the Bill.

The resolution to investigate the allegation followed a point of
order by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi on the issue.

Nwaoboshi (Delta North) told his colleagues that the media was
awash on Monday about alleged move to bribe senators and House
members to scuttle the plan to override the President’s veto on the
Electoral Act.

It was alleged that $50,000 had been earmarked for senators and
members of the House of Representatives are expected to get $30,000
each to stop the override plot.

The upper chamber asked the committee to report back its finding
within two weeks for a decisive action to be taken.

Nwaoboshi told his colleagues that the media report infringes on
his right as a senator since he did not receive any money from
anybody.

He prayed the Senate to get to the root of the matter with a
view to unearthing the faces behind the bribery allegation.

Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, who supported the motion, noted that he
has been inundated with phone calls from his constituents over the
allegation.

Senate President Bukola Saraki agreed that the allegations
should be investigated.

Saraki described the allegation as a big dent on the image of
the National Assembly.

Nwaoboshi was asked to lay a copy of one of the
publications.

* Panel to probe allegation of bribery

THE Senate yesterday began the process of overriding President
Muhammadu Buhari’s veto to the amendment of the Electoral Act,
2018.

The upper chamber reintroduced the “Electoral Act 2010
(Amendment) Bill, 2018”.

The Bill, tagged: SB 645, and sponsored by Chairman, Senate
Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission, Senator
Suleiman Nazif, scaled first reading seamlessly.

It was on a day the Senate mandated its Committee on Ethics,
Privileges and Public Petitions to investigate alleged attempts to
compromise senators and House of Representatives members to abandon
plans to override the President’s veto.

A number of senators in support of the Bill insisted that it was
wrong for Buhari to withhold assent to the proposed
legislation.

Others opposed to the Bill saw it as targeted at the President
and vowed to scuttle it.

Insiders said the lawmakers will pass the Bill once again as it
was done before the President withheld his assent.

The most contentious section of the Bill is the reordering of
election sequence, which placed the presidential election last in
the order of election in the country.

The reintroduction of the Bill is coming at a time allegations
of bribery to scuttle the override of the veto were making the
rounds.

President Buhari withheld assent to the Electoral Act Amendment
Bill, 2018, on the excuse that his assent would infringe on the
constitutional powers of INEC.

The President, in a letter to the Senate President, Bukola
Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara,
said giving assent to the Bill would make the National Assembly
appear as if it was legislating for the states on local
government-related issues.

It was not known how far the Senate can go in its determination
to override the President’s veto to the Bill.

The resolution to investigate the allegation followed a point of
order by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi on the issue.

Nwaoboshi (Delta North) told his colleagues that the media was
awash on Monday about alleged move to bribe senators and House
members to scuttle the plan to override the President’s veto on the
Electoral Act.

It was alleged that $50,000 had been earmarked for senators and
members of the House of Representatives are expected to get $30,000
each to stop the override plot.

The upper chamber asked the committee to report back its finding
within two weeks for a decisive action to be taken.

Nwaoboshi told his colleagues that the media report infringes on
his right as a senator since he did not receive any money from
anybody.

He prayed the Senate to get to the root of the matter with a
view to unearthing the faces behind the bribery allegation.

Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, who supported the motion, noted that he
has been inundated with phone calls from his constituents over the
allegation.

Senate President Bukola Saraki agreed that the allegations
should be investigated.

Saraki described the allegation as a big dent on the image of
the National Assembly.

Nwaoboshi was asked to lay a copy of one of the
publications.