2019: Enugu pro-buhari group faults national assembly on election time table amendment

THE Buhari Support Organisation (BSO), Enugu State Chapter, has condemned in its entirety the amendment of Section 25 of the 2010 Electoral Act; by both the Senate and House of Representatives, saying the action is unconstitutional and in bad faith.

In a statement issued by the State Publicity Secretary of the BSO, Chibueze Eze, which was made available to Nigerian Tribune on Friday, the pro-Buhari group said, “The amendment no doubt infringes upon the constitutional powers vested on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

The statement reads in parts:
“We view the amendment as one done in bad faith, hence erosion of INEC powers an electoral umpire which had already issued sequence and order of 2019 general elections – National Assembly/President, and State Assembly/Governor elections.

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“Therefore, we are at a loss and yet to locate the economic, patriotic or any valid reason for infringing on the Constitution which in the Third Schedule, expressly bestows INEC with the powers to: – organise, undertake and supervise all elections to the offices of the President and Vice President, the Governor and Deputy Governor, and to the membership of the Senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly of each State of the Federation.

“The fact and the law is that sequence of elections is an integral component of organisation and supervision of elections, which are the primary functions of INEC. This is why since 1960, neither the 1960 parliament, the 2nd Republic nor the 3rd Republic National Assembly had ever inserted the sequence of elections in our Electoral Act. We stand to be contradicted.

“BSO commends the Senators and House Members who opposed the unconstitutional act, especially the only APC Senator from the South East, Distinguished Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu.

“It’s our considered view that obstacles or booby traps should not be planted to block President Muhammadu Buhari from firming the solid foundation he is laying in the provision of critical infrastructure – RAILS, ROADS, AGRO & POWER (RRAP) projects.

“Accordingly, we call on Mr President to veto the Bill and Distinguished Senators and House Members to support the veto. For if there were valid or altruistic reasons behind the unnecessary tampering with the sequence published by INEC, the National Assembly should have truly posited bottom-top model that of – the House of Assembly, the Governorship, the National Assembly and last the President.