Following the expiration of the 30 days constitutional window to sign the amended Electoral bill, Civil Society Partners on Electoral Reforms has asked the National Assembly to step down the consideration of the 2022 budget until the amended electoral bill is passed.
The CSOs in a statement called on the National Assembly to rise to the occasion as the representatives of the people, by showing courage to override the President and granting accelerated passage to the bill before Christmas.
The partners however warned that history will judge the 9th National Assembly harshly if they failed to override President Muhammadu Buhari having passed the bill unanimously before it was transmitted to the executive.
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The groups told the lawmakers to be mindful of posterity and their political survival in order not to lose having come this far as President Muhammadu Buhari has nothing to lose because he is completing his second term in office in 2023.
They said earlier some Governors tried to stop the National Assembly from transmitting the bill but the federal lawmakers rejected their overtures even after the president had convened a tripartite meeting of the APC led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
The CSOs noted that it appears the leadership of the National Assembly led by Ahmad Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila are afraid of overriding the President, despite having deferred to him all these years with nothing to show for it as the last-minute of setting things right will be a great help to save Nigerians and the nation’s democracy.
They urged the National Assembly to take courage in the fact that this will not be the first time in the last 20 years that the legislature will override the President as the 4th legislative session did so and got the NDDC Act passed and operational.
( Editor: Omor Bazuaye)
