ELECTORAL AMENDMENT BILL: APC Reps stand firmly with Buhari, vow to fight moves to veto president

All Progressives Congress (APC) members of the House of Representatives have vowed to abort any plan to override President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto of the 2018 Electoral (Amendment) Bill.

Giving reasons why they would not allow such plans to stand, the majority leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila on Wednesday in Abuja said the members of the APC caucus were committed to the desire of the President to ensure that all Nigerians vote especially in the stance of the card reader malfunctioning.

He also rests in the confidence that the ruling party had beyond the required number to halt any process relating to that.

The House needs the votes of at least two-thirds of its members to override the president’s veto

The president, for the record third time, had declined assent to the electoral bill after which he wrote to the National Assembly saying that the bill, if allowed to stay, would “create some uncertainty about the legislation to govern the process.

“We have seen instances where the card readers have failed. What Mr President has done is to protect everybody in Nigeria, millions could be disenfranchised and we don’t want that.

“We don’t have to use a fire brigade approach; it is too close to the elections, and that is the reason for the ECOWAS protocol. It is too late in the game to begin to tinker with the rules.

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“If they are able to muster two-thirds and push it forward, there is nothing we can do. But as a party, we are not going to be part of it. And it makes no sense to override in the case of an important document.” he contended.

The lawmaker argued that the constitution allows the President to simply decline his assent without giving reason for such.

“The Constitution is very clear; it does not require the president to give a reason for veto. All he has to do is to say I am not signing,” he said.

He said the National Assembly should rather put in more touches to the bill even as he assures of the president’s assent.

“The National Assembly should perfect the document and send it back, the president will sign it,” he submitted.

The majority leader insists, “We have more than the numbers to stop a veto.”

By Babatunde Alao….

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