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The leadership of Senate and House of Representatives have unanimously resolved to harmonise position on the contentious amendment to the Electoral Act, 2010.
Already, the leadership of the House has mandated its Committee on Rules and Business, chaired by Emmanuel Orker-Jev (APC-Benue) to re-gazette the Electoral bill for consideration in line with extant provisions of 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Standing Rules of the Lower Chamber.
Under the 1999 constitution (as amended), the National Assembly can override a presidential denial of assent or veto with a two-third majority vote of its members pursuant to section 58 of the Constitution.
Worried by the media report that the Senate President, Bukola and Speaker Yakubu Dogara are at logger-head over the planned activation of relevant sections of the Constitution which empowers the National Assembly to override Mr President on any bill not assented to within 30 days of transmission.
“Our attention has been drawn to reports in a national daily insinuating that there was a disagreement between Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara over how both chambers of the National Assembly will react to the withholding of assent by President Muhammadu Buhari on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
“We wish to inform the public that there is no such disagreement between the two leaders, and indeed the two chambers of the National Assembly.
“The Senate President and the Speaker, as heads of the two chambers of the National Assembly and representing the views of their colleagues, will want everybody to know that they are on the same page on what is the appropriate reaction to the President’s withholding of assent on the Electoral Act amendment bill.
“There is no disagreement between the two chambers as well as their presiding officers. The leadership of the two chambers constantly hold discussions and are in agreement on what to do, how to do it, when to do it and why it must be done.
“The issue at stake is not personal. It is about deepening democracy. It is about improving our democracy and the National Assembly is on firm constitutional and legal grounds to amend the law as well as take decisions in the manner they have been responding.
“We see that story and the insinuations contained in it as mere distraction and unnecessary misrepresentation aimed at creating division in the Federal Legislature.
“The Senate President, Speaker and their colleagues urge members of the public to discountenance the report,” Yusuph Olaniyonu and Turaki Hassan, Special Advisers (Media) to Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, said via a statement obtained by BusinessDay.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
