December 20, (THEWILL) – Amid heightened anxiety over the Electoral Act 2010 (Amendment) Bill, the presidency on Sunday night said President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision would be revealed by the National Assembly.
The senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, made this known on Sunday Politics, a current affairs programme on Channels Television.
Shehu said, “What I can tell you is that the President is conscious of his responsibilities in this regard. He has been adequately briefed on the pros and the cons of such a signature and the implications for the nation. Is there a decision by Mr President as we speak?
“I cannot tell you…I don’t know because if the President decides upon completion of all his consultations, usually, he will be sending a privileged communication to the National Assembly. And once that communication is privileged, it is only received by the National Assembly and on the floors of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Speaker or Senate President will read to members.
“My assumption is that when they come back, we probably will be hearing from them.”
Shehu, however, did not state whether the communication would be transmitted before Tuesday when the lawmakers would sit for the last time this year or in January.
He said the National Assembly might feel unfairly treated if details of the communication were announced by the presidency.
However, the lawmakers will be vacating tomorrow for the Christmas holidays. Resumption is expected to be in the second week of January 2022.
The 30-day window for assent to the bill lapsed on Sunday December 19 as the lawmakers sent the bill to the President on November 19.
Section 58 (4) of 1999 (as amended) stipulates that: “Where a bill is presented to the President for assent, he shall within 30 days signify that he assents or that he withholds assent.”
Similarly, Section 58 (5) provides thus: “Where the President withholds his assent and the bill is again passed by each House by a two-thirds majority, the bill shall become law and the assent of the President shall not be required.”
Thus, as the lawmakers meet for what could be their last sitting of 2021 before going on break, a face-off is looming between legislators who are in support of an override and those who do not want the lawmakers to ‘’embarrass the president” in anyway
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