SENATE President Ahmad Lawan has accused the judiciary of interference in the law-making process after an Abuja Federal High Court barred the National Assembly from tampering with the newly amended Electoral Act.
The court gave the order on Monday while ruling on an application filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
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Lawan condemned the development while speaking at plenary on Tuesday.
“The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, March 07, 2022, barred President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Senate President from tampering with the newly amended Electoral Act 2022.
“The judge, in a ruling on an ex-parte application by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the Electoral Act, having become valid law, could not be altered without following the due process of law.
“I find it very necessary to talk at this point because, with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, our governance system is based on the presidential system of government where there is a clear cut separation of powers and exercise of powers,” the Senate president said.
According to Lawan, the judiciary cannot stop the National Assembly from performing its legislative duties.
He added, “I believe the members of the National Assembly know their work, know their onions and would do what is right. This is due process; we are not doing anything outside the law. It is within our exclusive right to consider whatever request we receive from Nigerians either from the executive or private member bill.”
President Muhammadu Buhari signed the electoral bill into law on February 25 but pleaded with the lawmakers to consider the outright deletion of Section 84 (12).
The section has to do with the resignation of political appointees before party primaries.
The president, in a letter to the National Assembly, noted that the provision amounted to the disenfranchisement of political appointees.
A reporter with the ICIR
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