Nigerian govt to effect court’s order on section of Electoral Act – Malami

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said on Friday the Federal Government would act on the judgment which ordered the removal of the contentious section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act.

Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court, Umuahia, on Friday ordered the AGF to delete the contentious section of the Electoral Act.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in his address during the signing of the Electoral Act on February 25 asked the National Assembly to remove the section which requires political appointees to resign from their positions at least three months before the parties’ primaries or convention.

However, the Senate rejected the President’s request for the amendment of the clause at its March 9 plenary.

READ ALSO: Court orders AGF Malami to delete Section 84 from Electoral Act

In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Umar Gwandu, the AGF said the federal government would take the necessary action on the court ruling.

The statement read: “The judgment of the court will be recognised by the government printers in printing the Electoral Act.

“The Act will be gazetted factoring the effect of the judgment into consideration and deleting the constitutionally offensive provision accordingly.

“The provision of Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act 2022 is not part of our law and will be so treated accordingly.

“This is in line with the dictates of chapter 7, Part 4, Section 287 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) on enforcement of decisions that makes it a point of duty and obligation on all authorities and persons to have the judgment of the federal high court, among others, to be enforced.”

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