War in Senate over new electoral law

The ongoing amendment of election sequence by the National Assembly, on Wednesday, caused an uproar on the floor of the Senate.

Senators loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari and President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, squared off over the issue.

Recall that the House of Representatives, had in its amendments to the 2010 Electoral Act, included section 25(1) into the Act by reordering the sequence of the elections to start from that of the National Assembly, followed by governorship and State Assembly elections before the presidential election, as against earlier sequence rolled out by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last year.

The INEC sequence had put presidential and National Assembly elections first before that of governorship and State Assembly elections.

Trouble started on Wednesday, when the chairman of the committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Senator Suleiman Nazif presented the Conference Committee Report on INEC Act 2010 (Amendment) Bill, 2018.

As soon as Nafiz concluded, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege kicked. He raised a point of order and challenged the inclusion of Section 25(1) in the Electoral Act.

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He quoted relevant sessions of the constitution, and called for a head count of members present. While he was still speaking, Omo-Agege was ruled out of order by Saraki who presided over the day’s legislative business.

Again, Senator Kabiru Gaya from Kano State, raised a similar point of order. Like Omo-Agege’s case, Gaya was ruled out of order by Saraki. Former governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Adamu, also raised his point of order. Saraki overruled him.

Dino Melaye and other loyalists of Saraki, who were protesting and insisted on speaking, were overruled by Saraki. After a heated debate, Saraki ruled in favour of the adoption of the conference committee report.

“We will come and go, but the institution will stay. We need to come up with laws that will build strong institutions. Let us not be personal about this. Let us behave like statesmen. We have procedures on some of these things.

“There are many bills we have passed. If there are issues, there are mechanisms we can use to resolve them. I have allowed everybody to contribute. But I think we need to move to the next item in the Order Paper,” Saraki said while ruling on the issue.

Five minutes after the uproar on the floor of the Senate, some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) stormed the Press Centre, where they briefed Senate Correspondents.

Chairman of Northern Senators’ Forum, Adamu, in his remarks, said they were unhappy with the contents of the report. He claimed that the inclusion of Section 25(1) is targeted at President Buhari.

He said the process was rushed. He also alleged that the copy of the report circulated did not carry the signature of the chairman and some members of the committee.

He said: “We are aggrieved with the process the so called report was considered. It was rash. I spoke on the issue. I relied on some of the statues. We believe that the process was rushed. Yes, we may rely on existing statues of law.

“The strategic importance of the bill does not need to be rushed. The report that was circulated were not signed by the chairman and co-chairman of the conference committee. So many members of the committee did not sign. We need to know why they did not sign. I believe that the content of the bill is not fair. We need to be fair. Why the rush? We will all pass out one day. Why do we want to pass a law. I will not be part of it.”

Senator Andrew Uchendu from Rivers State, who accompanied Adamu, said the amendment cannot stand. He called on the leadership of the Senate to maintain status ante.

Omo-Agege who also briefed the press, boasted that 59, out of 109 senators were opposed to Section 25(1) of the amendment. He said due process was not followed by the leadership of the Senate before adopting the report of the conference committee.

He argued: “When this bill was passed in the House of Representatives, only 36 members were present. This cannot stand in a House of 360 members. This amendment needs to be debated before it is passed. There is a section in our standing rules that if a bill is sent to the House of Representatives and it makes any inputs, the Senate shall dissolve into a committee of the whole.

“We are supposed to determine if the decision of the House is in tandem with what the Senate passed. That was not done. We are 59 senators who are opposed to Section 25 of the Electoral Act‎. We cannot stand and allow a law passed against Mr. President to stand.”

Nafiz who also briefed newsmen, alongside the Senate spokesman, Aliu Sabi Abdullahi, countered Adamu’s claims. He displayed a copy of the report bearing his signature. He also dismissed insinuations that the report is targeted at President Buhari.

Nafiz countered: “The sequence of election came from the House of Representatives. The Senate only adopted what was passed by the House. I signed my signature on the report. I am not aware if the sequence of the election is targeted at somebody. I did my job as chairman of the committee on INEC.”

Senate spokesman on his part, said: “As spokesman of the Senate, I will not say something bad about the procedure adopted by the House of Representatives. I am not in the House of Representatives and say what I do not know. I can only speak for the Senate.

“It’s not in my place to talk about what the House of Representatives has done. I cannot answer the question on who and who are against the bill we passed. The senators who said that are entitled to their own opinion.”

By Ehisuan Odia…

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