The House of Reps attempt to override President Muhammadu Buhari on Section 84 (8) of the Electoral Act 2022, which seeks to provide for statutory delegates at political party meetings, congresses, and conventions, has failed.
On Wednesday, June 21, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, urged members inclined to launch a motion to overturn Buhari’s veto to do so by Thursday.
Two members of the Peoples Democratic Party – Deputy Minority Leader Toby Okechukwu and Ben Igbakpa – protested on the House floor after failing to acquire tickets to run for reelection in the just finished primary.
Okechukwu had backed Gbajabiamila on the comments made by the Speaker earlier on Tuesday, faulting the way political parties conducted primaries leading to the failure of members of the National Assembly to get tickets of their respective parties to seek reelection in the 2023 general election.
Gbajabiamila had chastised the parties for failing to allow statutory delegates to vote for candidates in primaries, as stipulated by the National Assembly in Section 84 (8) of the Electoral Act 2022, which the President has yet to sign.
After the 30-day window for the President to sign the amendment bill had elapsed, Igbakpa moved a resolution for the Reps to invoke Section 58 (5) of the 1999 Constitution on the bill.
However, the session was presided over by Deputy Reps Speaker Ahmed Wase, who criticized Igbakpa’s method.
Wase stated that Igbakpa was expected to have asked the Speaker to recommit the bill to the House Rules and Business Committee for review.
While Igbakpa stated that the proposal followed the Speaker’s directive, Wase requested that the motion be withdrawn and the proper procedure be followed, which the sponsor promised to do.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State parliament has passed a resolution to send commendation letter to President Muhammadu Buhari and others for ensuring a credible presidential primary election that produced the APC candidate, Sen. Bola Tinubu.
The House of Assembly directed its Clerk, Mr Lekan Onafeko, to write commendation letters to Southern and Northern APC governors and the Conference of Speakers of State Assemblies and the National Assembly.
The House passed the resolution at the resumption of plenary, presided over by the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa on Monday, June 20.
