After a closed-door executive session today to deliberate on President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to withhold assent to the electoral bill passed by the National Assembly, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan said that the chamber will consult with the House of Representatives on how to respond to the Executive’s decision to veto the Electoral Act 2010 (Amendment) Bill.
Senators had yesterday vowed to override President Buhari’s veto, with signatures of Senators backing the move already being collated.
However, the Senate President noted today that the provisions of the 1999 Constitution do not permit the chamber to exclusively take any action on such matters in the absence of the House.
The House had, however, embarked on recess yesterday, adjourning plenary till January 2022. The Speaker had also prevented similar moves from representatives, urging them to wait till resumption next year.
Lawan stated that a joint position would be reached with the House after due consultation with Nigerians to determine the appropriate line of action, after both chambers reconvene from the Christmas and New Year break.
Speaking on what transpired in the closed session, Lawan said: “The Senate, in a closed session, deliberated on matters relevant to the workings of the Senate in particular and the National Assembly in general. The Senate, also in the closed session, discussed how to respond to the letter from Mr. President on the electoral bill amendment.
“The Senate consequently resolved to consult with the House of Representatives in January when both the Senate and House will be in session.
“Presently, the House of Reps has gone on recess and as we all know, the constitutional provision is for the Senate and House of Representatives to jointly take the appropriate action.
“The Senate also resolved to consult with our constituents during our recess in January. The Senate believes that our constituents have a role to play as the major stakeholders in the laws that we make in the National Assembly.”