Again, Buhari refuses assent to 2018 electoral amendment bill

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Sen. Ita Enang, says President Muhammadu Buhari has communicated his decision on the Electoral (Amendment) Bill, 2018 to the National Assembly.

President Muhammadu Buhari

Enang, who briefed State House correspondents in Abuja on Friday, said President Buhari’s decision to the Senate and House of Representatives, was in accordance with the powers vested in him by the 1999 Constitution.

“The president has taken a decision in accordance with the powers vested in him according to the constitution.

“And, by convention that decision contained in the communication can only be revealed by the person to whom that decision is addressed.

“But the electoral bill has left Mr President’s office because he has taken a decision and has remitted it.”

Enang, who did not disclose the content of the president’s communication to the National Assembly, neither confirmed assent nor rejection of the bill by the president.

When asked why the president returned the bill to NASS, the presidential aide said: “The president has communicated his decision to the National Assembly.’’

According to him, only the National Assembly can reveal the content of the communication.

Meanwhile, sources at the National Assembly disclosed that President Buhari has refused assent to the 2018 Electoral Amendment Bill.

Enang however, confirmed that the president had assented to the National Open University (Amendment) Act, 2018.

He said: “Again, President Buhari has also assented to the National Open University Amendment Act.

“It allows the National Open University to operate as all other universities, having the same power, functions and administrative structures, eliminating possible discrimination as some used to have on their products and programmes.

“It also allows the establishment of some centres to be called study centres and given conditions for the establishment of such centres.’’