2019: Real reason Buhari refused assent to Electoral Amendment Bill – Omokri

Reno Omokri, the former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has stated the real reason President Muhammadu Buhari refused to approve the Electoral Amendment Bill.

Buhari had for the third time withheld his assent to the bill.

This was disclosed by his Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang.

Buhari in a letter transmitted to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara dated December 6, 2018 and was published by his Personal Assistant on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, on Saturday via Twitter, explained that passing the bill could cause “some uncertainty about the applicable legislation to govern the process.”

The letter read partly: “Pursuant to Section 58(4) of the constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), I hereby convey to the House of Representatives my decision on 6th December 2018 to decline Presidential Assent to the Electoral (Amendment) Bill, 2018 recently passed by the National Assembly.

“I am declining assent to the Bill principally because I am concern that passing the new electoral bill this far into the electoral process for the 2019 general elections which commenced under the 2015 Electoral Act could create some uncertainty about the applicable legislation to govern the process.

“Any real or apparent change to the rule this close to the election may provide an opportunity for disruption and confusion in respect of which law governs the electoral process.”

However, Omokri said the new electoral act will stop votes of 75% of faceless voters who voted for APC in 2015 from been used in 2019.

According to him, aforementioned was the real reason why Buhari failed to assent the bill.

The former presidential Spokesman on his Twitter page wrote: “The real reason Buhari DOES NOT want to sign the Electoral Act is because 75% of the FACELESS voters who voted without PVCs in 2015, voted for Buhari. That is how he rigged the 2015 election. That is what the new Electoral Act will stop.”