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Lawan Frowns at Senators Collecting Signatures to Veto Buhari

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Some Senators on Tuesday commenced moves to override President Muhammadu Buhari on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill with the collection of signatures.

Twice, the senators went into executive sessions that lasted for about two hours on Tuesday.

Daily Trust gathered that the lawmakers’ move to override the president was hatched during the second session.
A cross-section of senators who attended the sessions said the passage of the  2022 appropriation bill earlier scheduled for Tuesday was suspended, as many of the lawmakers insisted on overriding the president before the passage of the fiscal document.
Buhari had in a letter to the National Assembly, dated December 13, 2021, titled ‘Withholding of assent to Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021’ withheld his assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, citing economic, security, and legal issues.

While faulting the removal of indirect primaries as contained in Section 87 of the Electoral Act 2010, Buhari said the amendment as proposed violated the underlying spirit of democracy, which is characterised by freedom of choice.
The president also said the amendment would also stifle smaller parties without the enormous resources required to mobilise all their members for the primaries. This, he said was not healthy for the sustenance of multi-party democracy in Nigeria.

Section 58 (5) of the 1999 Constitution empowers lawmakers to override the president.

It reads; “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.”

During the plenary yesterday, many senators said reasons advanced by the president did not hold water, saying refusing to assent to the bill amounted to rejecting the will of the people.
Midway into the session, the Senate dissolved into executive session following a point of order by Senator George Sekibo (PDP, Rivers).

Sekibo said the Senate needed to discuss the president’s decision to withhold assent to the much-awaited bill before passing the 2022 budget.

The closed session, which commenced at 1.57 pm, lasted for about 40 minutes.
Several senators confirmed that signatures were collected in the chamber to get the buy-in of lawmakers to override the president’s veto.

Sekibo, after the Senate adjourned sitting to Wednesday, said: “By law, we have the power to override him (Buhari). That is what Section 58 (4 & 5) of the constitution said.

“We have collected signatures, about 73, to override the veto and it cuts across party lines.”

A ranking lawmaker, who corroborated Sekibo’s claims, said there was a groundswell of support to override the president.

“We are praying that it is going to happen tomorrow (today). We just signed up, everybody wanted it, today alone, 78 senators signed, but then they started throwing spanner in the works because at first the Senate president; he is full of pretence, he pretended that he believed in it, then all of a sudden he asked for a private audience and suspended plenary and then he left,” the senator said.
Another senator, who preferred not to be named, said all members of the Senate present at plenary, except the presiding officer, supported the decision to override the president veto on the bill.

“We are coming tomorrow to decide on the bill. The decision to override the president on the electoral bill has the support of all senators that were present. Only Lawan was on the other side,” he said.  Efforts to hear from the spokesman of the senate president, Ola Awoniyi were not successful as he did not pick his calls.

Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue) said the reasons given by President Buhari to withhold assent were not enough and that senators were fully prepared to override him.

An APC lawmaker from the North said the passage of the 2022 budget was suspended following the insistence of his colleagues.

“They have the numbers now. As at last count, they had 81. The number keeps increasing.  It has been agreed that votes be taken tomorrow. From all indications, the president’s veto would be overridden,” he said.

Senator Matthew Urhoghide (PDP, Edo) said the federal lawmakers consulted widely across their constituencies to reach an informed decision on the bill.
“This is not the first time it is happening in Nigeria.  The NDDC Bill of 2001 was vetoed by National Assembly under Obasanjo who was a PDP president. The National Assembly should extricate itself from public disrespect by going ahead to override President Buhari. History stares National Assembly in the face if indeed it is not a rubber stamp legislature,” he said.

Saharareporters

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Tinubu Appoints Gen Oluyede As Acting COAS

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President Bola Tinubu has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede, as the alActing Chief of Army Staff (COAS).
Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said in a statement on Wednesday that Oluyede will act in the position pending the return of the indisposed Taoreed Lagbaja, the substantive COAS.

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Humphrey Nwosu Dies in US, Ohanaeze Rues Non-Recognition of Ex-Electoral Commissioner

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A former Chairman of the National Election Commission (now the Independent National Electoral Commission), Prof. Humphrey Nwosu is dead.

He died at the age of 83.

Nwosu, who conducted the June 12, 1993 election annulled by former President Ibrahim Babangida, served as Chairman of NEC from 1989 to 1993.

He hailed from the Ajali community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Although no official statement has been released by the family, a source close to the family said the deceased, born on October 2, 1941, died in a hospital in Virginia, United States of America in the early hours of Thursday.

The source said, “Yes, Prof died this morning in a hospital in Virginia, USA, after a brief illness. The family will soon issue a statement on it.”

He presided over the June 12, 1993 election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest.

Chief Moshood Abiola of the Social Democratic Party defeated Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention.

However, the subsequent annulment of the election plunged the country into political turmoil and prolonged military rule until Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.

Reacting to the news in an interview, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, lamented that the deceased died without being celebrated by the country, despite his significant contributions to Nigeria’s electoral system.

The acting National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Damian Ogene, who reacted on behalf of the body, pointed out that while the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, the late MKO Abiola, was remembered and immortalised, the late Humphrey Nwosu was never honoured.

He said, “Until his death, no one, including the Federal Government, recognised this man, despite the fact that he put his life on the line to save the country’s democracy.

“Late Humphrey Nwosu was my brother; we belong to the same Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State and as a matter of fact, he is my kinsman. It is sad that successive administrations in the country never acknowledged him, not even by naming a federal institution after him.

“There are others in his position who might have compromised, but he stood his ground and ensured that the electoral wishes and aspirations of the Nigerian masses were realized.

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Tinubu Reshuffles Cabinet, Sacks Five Ministers, Merges Ministries

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President Bola Tinubu has dismissed five ministers from his cabinet and appointed seven new ones as part of a cabinet reshuffle.

The President re-assigned 10 ministers to new portfolios and nominated seven new ministers for Senate confirmation.  

He dismissed Uju-Ken Ohanenye as Minister of Women Affairs, Lola Ade-John as Minister of Tourism, Tahir Mamman as Minister of Education, Abdullahi Gwarzo as Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, and Jamila Ibrahim as Minister of Youth Development. 

Among the nominees, Tinubu selected Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Nentawe Yilwatda as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, marking the official end of suspended Betta Edu’s tenure. 

Other nominees include Maigari Dingyadi for Minister of Labour and Employment, Jumoke Oduwole for Minister of Industry, Idi Maiha for the newly established Ministry of Livestock Development, Yusuf Ata for Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, and Suwaiba Ahmad for Minister of State for Education. 

“The appointment of Shehu Dikko as Chairman of the National Sports Commission.

“The appointment of Sunday Akin Dare as Special Adviser to the President on Public Communication and Orientation working from the Ministry of Information and National Orientation,” the President said.

The President appreciated the outgoing members of the Federal Executive Council for their service to the nation while wishing them the best in their future endeavours. 

He then charged the newly appointed ministers and their reassigned colleagues to see their appointment as a call to serve the nation. 

Source: Nairametrics

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