ABUJA, APRIL 19, 2018 – The controversial Bill seeking to re-order the sequence of elections on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, suffered a major setback in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The two chambers of the National Assembly suspended action the Bill.
In the Lower House, the lawmakers withdrew it while the Senate tactically avoided debate on it.
At the Lower Chamber, the lawmakers adopted 12 clauses approved by 35 states of the federation, excluding Lagos State on constitution amendment.
The suspension of the Election Sequence Bill followed a request by its sponsor, Hon. Edward Pwajok, that it should be withdrawn.
The bill, which was listed as item four in the Order Paper for second reading, included seven others, the lawmakers co-sponsored.
The House had vowed to reintroduce the bill when President Muhammadu Buhari refused to assent to it.
While Pwajok moved for the withdrawal of the bill, some lawmakers vehemently opposed it by chanting “No” to express their position.
However, the Deputy Speaker, Yussuf Lasun, who presided at the plenary, intervened, saying that the sponsor had the right to withdraw it.
He said: “Let us remind ourselves that the mover of the motion has the right to ask the presiding officer to step down his bill and this is what Pwajok has exercised.”
The House Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila who was listed as a one of the co-sponsors, denied knowledge of the bill.
He said: “I don’t know anything about this bill and for the record, I will like the secretariat to take note of that.”
Apparently sensing a defeat, the Senate voted to isolate Clause 25 of the Electoral Bill dealing with election sequence from other items in the proposed Bill.
The pro-President Buhari All Progressive Congress (APC) supporters voted against it.
The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, saved the day when he intervened and citing historical antecedents, proposed that since the clause had become controversial, it should be isolated so that other items can pass seamlessly.
Ekweremadu had recalled events leading to the death of constitution amendment of 2006 as a result “third term clause” and that of 2014 due to the disagreement with the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation
