Skip to main content

2018 election sequence: Senate probes $50,000 bribery allegation



THE Senate, yesterday, frowned on reports that senators have been given  $50,000 bribe to stop plans to override President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2018 on sequence of election. Consequently, it mandated committee, headed by Senator Samuel Anyanwu (PDP, Imo East) to carry out a holistic investigation into allegations that some senators and House of Representatives members were being bribed by the executive with $50,000 and $30,000 respectively.  

The Senate particularly asked the committee to carry out a thorough investigation on the allegation published in  a national daily of Monday,  March 26, 2018, and report back within one week. Resolution of the upper chamber was sequel to a motion moved to that effect by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (PDP Delta North).

In his remarks, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, who presided over the session, said the allegation clearly impugned the integrity of the entire members of the hallowed chambers and must be investigated for Nigerians to know the truth .Meanwhile, moves by the Senate to override the President on the Electoral Act with the amendment of the bill as sponsored by Senator Suleiman Nazif (APC, Bauchi North), was read for the first time at plenary, yesterday.

President Buhari had, in vetoing the bill three weeks ago, through a letter to that effect , argued that section 25(1) of the bill reordering the 2019 sequence of elections, would infringe on the constitutional powers of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

He had said :  “Pursuant to section 58 (4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), I, hereby, convey to the Senate, my decision, on March 3, 2018, to decline presidential assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill, 2018, recently passed by the National Assembly. “Some of my reasons include the following:

The amendment to the sequence of elections in section 25 of the principal act may infringe upon the constitutionally guaranteed discretion of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organise, undertake and supervise elections provided in Section 15 (A) of the third statue to the constitution; the amendment to section 138 of the principal act, to delete two crucial grounds upon which an election may be challenged by candidates, unduly limits the rights of candidates in elections to a free and fair electoral review process.”   

Credit: Vanguard Newspapers

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“Stop Harassing Atiku’s Business Interests”- CC Okirie

A Port Harcourt based businessman and politician Chief Chukwuma C. Okirie has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria not to use or allow any of its agencies, parastatals or departments to be used in intimidating or harassing any business interest (s) of former vice President Alhaji Abubakar Atiku. Chief CC Okirie who is also the National Coordinator of  Project AA a socio political group with wide follower-ship across the country said the former vice president of the country has sacrificed so much for democracy in the country and should not be subjected to any form of harassment due to his political ideology or aspiration. Chief Okirie who briefed newsmen during the meet the media chat with newsmen on the activities of his group PROJECT AA said it was high time Nigerians are allowed to speak their minds or aspire for any position of their choice without being witch hunted by authourities.  He lamented that some people who believe they have some people in particular...
Post a Comment
Read more

Support For GEJ: C C Okirie Commends PDP In Rivers State

A frontline politician in Rivers State Chief Chukwuma Chinwa Oikrie has commended the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers state under the leadership of Bro. Felix Obuah (Go Round) for the support the party has given to President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid. Chief Okirie made this known at Omoku Town the headquarters of Ogba/ Egbema / Ndoni local government area over the weekend when the Party opened the Campaign Office of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in the LGA. While thanking the state Chairman for his support, Chief Okirie stated that with the support the President has received from the party in the state, there was even no need for him to come and campaign personally.   “With the tremendous support the people of the state have accorded the President, I think he should go and rest. It is even immaterial if he comes to campaign personally because the people of the state are behind him. We will give him the traditional 100% votes we have alway...
Post a Comment
Read more

DEFECTIONS: Why Saraki, Dogara Others Must Heed Sen. Ibrahim's Call by Comrade Nwokoma Ndubuisi M.

The gale of defections in the National Assembly last week was followed by an advice from no one else than Sen. Abu Ibrahim that the Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki as well as the Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara and others in the fold of the All Progressives Congress APC that are still masquerading in the party should resign their membership of the party. This call which also implies that they resign their positions as leaders of the various arms of the National Assembly is yet to be complied with by those concerned as at the time of writing this piece Whatever their reasons for still staying put in the party may be, the fact of the matter is that their continued stay in the party has become a sore which must be extricated from the body.  As I watched through the proceedings of the defections on national television, I wept for the country for producing such leaders that lack morality despite all the party has given them politically which they ordin...
Post a Comment
Read more