The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has spoken on President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to withhold assent to the Electoral Act Amendment bill.
INEC said the electoral body would not discuss the implications of the president’s action since the process had not been concluded.
INEC’s Chief Press Secretary, CPS, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said that the current dates for the 2019 general elections were fixed in line with provisions of the existing law.
On the implications of the president’s decision, Oyekanmi said, “It is within the powers of the National Assembly to make laws.
“The 1999 constitution has also clearly stated the process through which a bill enacted by the National Assembly can metamorphose into a valid law.
“Part of the process is the prerogative of the president to either give or withhold assent.
“While it is true that INEC made recommendations to the National Assembly during the electoral law amendment process, it is not in our place to begin to discuss the implications of a process that is yet to be concluded.
“As for the re-ordering of the election sequence, INEC fixed the dates for the 2019 general elections in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Section 30 (1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).
“Remember that the tenure of the President, Vice President, Governors and Deputy Governors of the states (except Kogi, Bayelsa, Edo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo and Anambra States) will expire on May 28, 2019, while membership of the National and State Assemblies will stand dissolved on June 8, 2019.
“Sections 76 (2), 116 (2), 132 (2) and 178 (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Section 25 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) state that elections into the said offices shall hold not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the term of office of the last holder.
“It was based on these considerations among others that the commission on January 9 announced the timetable and schedule for the 2019 general elections.”
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