Electoral Act Amendment Bill yet to be signed –Presidency

There are indications that President Muhammadu Buhari is yet to sign the amended Electoral Act contrary to the news making the rounds yesterday. Some online platforms, on Saturday, published a story claiming that the President had already signed the bill, which was transmitted to him last week Friday.

 

However, several official sources contacted for verification debunked the reports as untrue saying that the bill could not have been signed in secret, adding that the President had been out of the country in the last 48 hours and just returned to the country yesterday evening. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, who just returned to the country with the President, said the news of the signing, which had already gone viral on social media, was not to his knowledge, saying “it is news to me too”.

 

Again, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, House of Representatives, Hon Umar El-Yakub, said the viral news could not be true, citing reasons for his conclusion.

 

According to El-Yakub, referring to the President on the bill, said “he couldn’t have signed it yesterday because he was out of the country and he couldn’t have signed already because he’s just entering the country. “I also cannot tell you that he will still not sign it or will not sign it. He’s the President. But if it will be signed later, we will all know.”