Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has for the fourth time declined to assent to the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2018. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters (Senate), Ita Enang, refused to state the reasons behind the President’s rejection and said he has communicated to the National Assembly on the decision taken on the Electoral Act.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has taken decision on Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2018,” his aide, Ita Enang said.
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.”
The President had declined assent to the bill four times citing “drafting issues”. In September, the president rejected the bill for the third time due to what Enang described as “some drafting issues” that have remained unaddressed.
Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, last week said Mr Buhari should take time to study the bill and take a decision he is comfortable with.
Enang also said 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.
