… Noose tightens around the neck of appointed office holders
President Muhammadu Buhari who is out of the country attending to health issues has lost his bid to persuade the Nigerian Senate to amend section 84, sub section 2(12) of the electoral act.
The Senate however voted Wednesday after the proposed amendment was read a second time to set aside the President’s plea.
Leader of the Senate, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi representing Kebbi North who led the debate urged senators to introduce a new amendment to the law.
When the issue was put to the vote by Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, a majority of Nigerian Senators voted no in reaction to the presidential request.
This means that the Electoral Act which has drawn the ire of men in appointive positions would remain the same way that its framers who are presently reviewing the constitution want it.
Powerful political office holders who are sitting tight in their offices, but who want to contest future elections, were hoping that the President’s influence would be sufficient to get them to eat their cake and have it back.
It is still not clear why any serving political officer enjoying appointive position would very much want to remain in office while chasing higher office.
It is trite in this country that those seeking public office, must first of all resign their appointments before being eligible to be voted for.
While signing the reworked Electoral Act into law, President Buhari had asked the leaders of the National Assembly to deal with the new section that the executive did not agree with.
Under the new section of the electoral act, appointed public officers are to resign in order to qualify to participate as delegates at a party convention, or candidates during party primaries.
Recall that the Federal High Court in Abuja in a ruling on Monday, March 7, 2022, stopped President Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, from tampering with the newly signed amended Electoral Act 2022.
Ruling on an ex-parte application by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Justice Inyang Ekwo agreed with the counsel to the party, James Onoja, that the Electoral Act has become a valid law and cannot be tampered with without following due process of law.