10 members of the Senate have staged a walk-out in protest against the adoption in the election timetable – The protesters said despite the adoption of the report by the Senate, they would insist on its reversal – They alleged that the amendment was targeted at President Muhammadu Buhari The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday, February 14, passed the conference committee report on amendment to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) act. Punch reports that the passage of the report was followed by dissenting voices calling for points of order within the chamber. The amendment to the electoral act, if approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, will uphold the change in the order of election as adopted by the lawmakers.
The federal lawmakers want their election held first in 2019, before that of the state lawmakers and state governors, with the last being the presidential election. Meanwhile, about 10 members of the Senate have staged a walk-out in protest against the adoption of the report by the Senate and House of Representatives Joint Committee on the Amendment to the Electoral Act. The protesters say despite the adoption of the report by the Senate, they would insist on its reversal. They alleged that the amendment was targeted at President Muhammadu Buhari. The chairman of the Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission, Senator Suleiman Nazif, had presented the report at the plenary.
After the presentation, President of the Senate put the adoption of the report to voice vote, saying there was no need for debate on it as it was from a conference committee which had harmonised the versions of the two chambers. After the vote, the ‘ayes’ had it and Saraki ruled on it — a development that generated an uproar in the chamber. Saraki also ruled against three senators who raised points of order to protest against the adoption.
naij.com
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