Again, Buhari sends Electoral Act back to National Assembly

President Muhammadu Buhari has “taken decision on Electoral Act
Amendment Bill 2018”, his aide, Ita Enang said.

Mr Enang who spoke with State House correspondents Friday
declined to confirm if Mr Buhari has assented or declined to assent
to the bill.

Asked whether the bill was assented or rejected, Mr Enang simply
said “the president has taken a decision in accordance with the
powers vested in him according to the Constitution. And by
convention that decision contained in the communication can only be
revealed by the person to whom that decision is addressed. But the
electoral bill has left Mr. President because he has taken a
decision and has remitted it back.”

Pushed further, Mr Enang said, “Thank You very much, but this is
all the law allows me to say by convention. Mr. President has sent
that communication to the National Assembly.”

The President had declined assent to the bill four times citing
“drafting issues”.

Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, last week said Mr Buhari should take
time to study the bill and take a decision he is comfortable
with.

Mr Enang also said Mr Buhari had signed the National Open
University Amendment Act, which allows the National Open University
to now operate as all other universities, “having the same power
and functions and the same administrative structures, eliminating
possible discrimination as some used to want to have on its
products and programmes.”

He said the new bill has also allowed the establishment of some
centres to be called study centres and has also given conditions
for the establishment of such study centers.

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