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BREAKING: Finally, Buhari signs Electoral Act Amendment Bill

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday signed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law after keeping Nigerians guessing for so long as to his intentions.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday signed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law after keeping Nigerians guessing for so long as to his intentions.

Buhari officially assented to the Bill during a signing ceremony inside the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja at about 12:30 pm

Dignitaries present at the ceremony included the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Mahmood Yakubu; President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila among others.

READ ALSO: Buhari persuaded me to run for governorship for ‘strong governance’ —El-Rufai

This comes barely a week to the expiration of the window the President had to take a decision on the proposed legislation, as required by the Nigerian Constitution.

The assent is coming a few days after a coalition of civil society organisations staged a protest urging the President to take a decision on the proposed legislation, as required by the Nigerian Constitution.

The coalition, which converged on Tuesday morning at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, included: Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Yiaga Africa, Partners for Electoral Reform, International Press Centre, Institute for Media and Society, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, The Albino Foundation, Centre for Citizens with Disability, Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism, Labour Civil Society Coalition, Transition Monitoring Group, CLEEN Foundation and Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre.

However, Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, during an interview on Channels TV, on Tuesday, had assured Nigerians that the President will sign the Bill.

“He (Buhari) will sign it (the bill) any moment from now. It could be today, it could be tomorrow, it could be anytime, but within the 30 days.

“It could be signed today; it could be signed tomorrow. In a matter of hours, not days. Hours could be 24 hours, it could be 48 hours; not days, not weeks,” Adesina had said.

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