Senate Majority leader, Ahmed Lawal has warned the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar to stop agitating over the delay in signing into law, the electoral Act by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The President reserves the right to study it and not to be pressurized. I noticed that the PDP, in their meeting of yesterday, was saying the Presidency must sign the bill; was the bill passed by the PDP or the National Assembly? This kind of thing tells you a lot. I expect members of the National Assembly to be the ones talking and not PDP national chairman or other presidential candidates.”
Senator Ahmed, who fielded questions from news men today, Friday, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said that afterall, President Buhari has so far signed more bills than previous Presidents in this country.
“Previous government of President Jonathan didn’t sign much; they kept most of the bills sent by the National Assembly. So I want to give kudos to the President for ensuring that he looks into the bills before signing.”
He said that the President had twice sent back, the electoral bill, adding that it showed that the President is willing to sign the bill provided it meets certain conditions that will make our electoral processes better and saner.
“So, the President is studying this bill. It is not like you will send it to him and he will immediately sign. This is a sign that he is really interested in what we sent back to him. It is for him and his advisers to read through line by line and see how best the electoral process can be enhanced.
“I don’t think we have ran out of time; in fact, we still have the 2006 Electoral Act as amended that we used in 2015 for an election that was adjudged to be free, fair and an improved process.
“I will advise, even though I am not one of his advisers, that he goes through what has been sent to him line by line, understand whatever his advisers will tell him and of what we have sent will make the elections in 2019 better, then he signs.
“If however, he discovers some provisions that will bring contradictions and controversies, he can withhold assent. I’m not advocating that he withholds assent but if he does, that is his right. I want to tell you that the APC caucus in the National Assembly stands with Mr. President on this.”
The Senate leader recalled that the 2006 electoral act as amended, was used in the 2015 general elections, adding that the general elections in 2015 were free and fair?
“The processes were free and fair. So if we are not able to get this bill signed, we can still use the 2006 electoral act as amended and in fact we can even achieve better than we did in 2015. We can observed our deficiencies in 2015 elections using the same act and we can improve in the a administrative approach to the elections.
“So, I personally believe the president is doing what is right. Nobody should pushed or pressurize him into signing the bill; he needs to thoroughly read and then take a decision.
