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By Nasir Kura
President Muhammadu Buhari has for the fourth declined assent to the Electoral Act Amendment bill 2018 passed by the National Assembly.
Addressing State House correspondents on Friday in Abuja, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly (Senate) Mr. Ita Enang, said the President has communicated his decisions on the Electoral Act amendments to the leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has taken decision on Electoral Act Amendment bill 2018 in accordance with his power under the 1999 Constitution and has communicated that decision to the Senate and House of Representatives in accordance with the law,” he said.
He said by convention, decisions contained in the President’s letter can only be revealed by the persons to whom the letter was addressed.
“The electoral bill has left Mr. President because he has taken a decision and has remitted it back. This is all the law allows me to say by convention. Mr. President has sent that communication to the National Assembly,” he said.
When asked the implication of the decision on the 2019 elections, the presidential aide said: “The implication of the decision is that the President has taken action on the bill within the time allowed by law.”
Enang said the President Buhari has assented to the amendment made to the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Act.
He said with the assent, NOUN can now operates like other conventional universities.
“President Buhari has also assented to National Open University Amendment Act, which allows the National Open University to operate as all other universities, having the same power and functions and the same administrative structures eliminating possible discrimination as some use to want to have on its products and programmes. It has also allowed the establishment of some centers to be called study centers and given conditions for the establishment of such study centres,” he said.
