Reps Drop Contentious Election Sequence Bill

The 2018 Electoral Amendment Bill, currently causing trouble and creating tension in the Nigerian Senate, has been dropped by the House of Representatives.

The House and the Senate had earlier amended the bill, changing the election sequence announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

Highly contentious, the bill seeks to amend the existing Electoral Act to change the elections’ sequence in a manner that the presidential election comes last, after the State assemblies/National Assembly and governorship elections.

Immediately the bill was passed by the Senate, a group of senators kicked against the amendment of the election sequence.

Casualties were recorded in the process with the Northern senators’ caucus dropping their leader, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, for leading the campaign against the amendment.

However, despite his apology, pro-Buhari Senator Ovie Omo-Agege was last week suspended for 90 legislative days for taking the senate to court over the bill.

Interestingly, some hours after Omo-Agege led some thugs to seize the mace of the Senate in protest against his suspension, the lower legislative chamber dropped the bill during plenary on Wednesday.

Member of the House, who initially sponsored the bill, Hon. Edward Pwajok, from Plateau, finally dropped it on Wednesday citing consultations and pressure from his constituents.

President Muhammadu Buhari had declined assent to the bill and returned it to the lawmakers. (NAN)