Electoral Bill: Senate Drops Move To Override Buhari …Confirms NPC Commissioner-Nominee

The Senate, yesterday, stood down consideration of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2018 for third reading and passage, until Tuesday.
The bill, which was captured on the Order Paper, was stood down at plenary for more legislative work.
Announcing the development, Leader of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said “in view of the sensitive nature of the bill and its importance, it is vital to give the committee more time to do a thorough job.’’
After his remarks on it, President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, put the issue to voice vote and the “step down’’ was unanimously adopted.
The bill scaled second reading on October 10, a day after the Red Chamber resumed from recess.
Ongoing process on the Bill is the fourth attempt by lawmakers to have it ready for assented of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari had on September 3, declined assent to the Bill, which was transmitted to him by the National Assembly on August 3, for the third time.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Ita Enang, in a statement in Abuja, announced the president’s decline of assent to the Bill.
He had explained that the president declined endorsement of the bill due to some drafting issues and the period fixed for political parties’ primaries, among others.
In Auguat, Enang had clarified that the bill, which was forwarded to the President on August 3, was “alive and awaiting assent.’’
The clarification was against the backdrop of media report that Buhari had again vetoed the bill forwarded to him for assent.
But, Enang explained that the vetoed bill was the one sent to the President on June 27 and not the one passed by the Assembly on July 24, the day the lawmakers commenced their annual recess.
In February, the president rejected the first Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2018 forwarded to him for assent and gave reasons.
Similarly, the Senate, yesterday, confirmed the appointment of Abdulmalik Durnnguwa as commissioner in the National Population Commission (NPC).
The confirmation was sequel to the presentation of report by the committee on National Identity Card and National Population Commission by its Chairman, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi.
Durnnguwa is from Kaduna.
He is one of the 23 nominees whose names were sent by President Muhammadu Buhari to the Upper Chamber for screening and confirmation in April.
While others were confirmed on Thursday last week, Durnnguwa’s nomination was stood down due to issues challenging the authenticity of his West African Examination Certificate (WAEC).
On this premise, his documents were referred back to the Committee on National Identity Card and National Population Commission for further legislative action.
But while presenting his report, Hunkuyi said the nominee appeared before the committee with two letters on the areas for which the committee demanded clarification.
One of the letters, he said, came from the Ministry of Education, Katsina State, where the secondary school he attended was domiciled, while the other came from the school he attended.
Hunkuyi said the committee was satisfied with the contents of the two letters confirming that the nominee did genuinely obtain his O’ Level certificate.
However, Durnnguwa’s confirmation did not come without certain arguments by the Minority Leader, Biodun Olujimi, who raised another issue bordering on his age saying, he could not have finished secondary school at the age of 10 as stated in his CV.
The lawmaker affirmed that it was impossible for Durnnguwa to get the Grade II certificate and the National Certificate of Education (NCE) within less than 10 years after leaving secondary school.
In her words, “Mr President, there is something intrinsically wrong in this and we need to sort it out before we pass it,” she asserted.
This latest development did not go down well with some APC lawmakers who countered Olujimi, accusing her of playing politics with the matter.
But senate leader, Ahmed Lawan said the issues raised by Olujimi were not partisan as alleged by his colleagues.
Further, Lawan said the same issue was raised last week and that he believed committee did due diligence on the matter. And that an investigation he personally carried out on the matter also gave the nominee a clean bill of health.
Ruling on the matter, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, put the matter to a voice vote, and it was approved by the lawmakers.