As the constitutional timeline for President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill expires today, office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice said it has officially written its legal opinion to President Buhari on the Bill.
According to Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, Special Adviser on Media and Public Relations to the AGF, said though it was premature of him “to comment on a process involving official communication between the office of the President and the office of the Attorney General of Federation and Minister of Justice without allowing the conclusion of the administration cycle,” he said, “naturally, the general public would adequately and timely informed by the Office of the President”.
The president has till Sunday to assent to the Bill, having been submitted to him by the National Assembly after both the Senate and the House of Representatives deliberated extensively on the report of the Conference Committee on the bill.
The Senate also passed the harmonised version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
The passage followed the consideration of the report of the conference committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on the bill.
In line with customary legislative procedures, the two chambers had in September, set up Conference Committees to reconcile disparity in the versions of the bill as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on October 13, constituted a seven-man conference committee to meet with their counterparts in the House to harmonize the differences in the Senate and House versions of the bill.