By Matthew Eloyi

President Muhammadu Buhari has called on the National Assembly to as a matter of urgency, amend some sections of the Electoral Act 2022 that contravenes the rights of political office holders to vote and be voted for in political party conventions and congresses.

President Buhari made the call on Friday before signing the Electoral Bill into Law at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Section 84 (12) of the Act constitutes a disenfranchisement of serving political office holders from voting or being voted for at Conventions or Congresses of any political party, for the nomination of candidates for any election in cases where it holds earlier than 30 days to the National Election.

Quoting the section, the President said: “84(12) No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the Convention or Congress of any political party for the nomination of candidates for any election.”

President Buhari noted it had introduced qualification and disqualification criteria that ultra vires the Constitution by way of importing blanket restriction and disqualification to serving political office holders of which they are constitutionally accorded protection.

In his words, “The practical application of section 84(12) of the Electoral Bill, 2022 will if assented to, by operation of law, subject serving political office holders to inhibitions and restrictions referred to under section 40 and 42 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

“It is imperative to note that the only constitutional expectation placed on serving political office holders that qualify, by extension, as public officers within the context of the constitution is resignation, withdrawal, or retirement at least 30 days before the date of the election.”

He said it would not be right for the country’s democratic processes to overstretch beyond constitutional limits.

“Hence, it will be stretching things beyond the constitutional limit to import extraneous restrictions into the constitution on account of the practical application of section 84(12) of the bill where political parties’ conventions and congresses were to hold earlier than 30 days to the election,” he said.

The President said the Electoral Act 2022 holds a lot of promise for improving the election processes in the country, with the introduction of new technology and efforts to engender clarity and transparency.

“From the review, it is my perspective that the substance of the Bill is both reformative and progressive.

“I am making this bold declaration because I foresee the great potentials of the Bill. Worthy of note include the democratic efficacy of the Bill with particular reference to sections 3, 9(2), 34, 41, 47, 84(9), (10), and (11) among others.

“This, however, cannot be said about one provision as contained in the proposed Bill, which provision constitutes a fundamental defect, as it conflicts with extant constitutional provisions.

“Arising from the foregoing, with particular regards to the benefits of the Bill, industry, time, resources and energy committed in its passage, I hereby assent to the Bill and request the Nationally Assembly to consider immediate amendments that will bring the Bill in tune with constitutionality by way of deleting section 84(12) accordingly,’’ he said.

The President commended members of the National Assembly for their commitment and dedication to improving the previous Electoral Bill 2021.