BREAKING: Buhari signs the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021 into law

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the long-awaited Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021 into law.

Newsflash Nigeria gathered that the President signed the bill around noon on Friday at a brief ceremony held at the Council Chamber of the Aso Villa in Abuja.

The President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, witnessed the signing of the bill.

Members of the President’s cabinet in attendance included his Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, among others.

This comes barely a week to the expiration of the window the President has to take a decision on the proposed legislation, as required by the Nigerian Constitution.

Having received the bill from the National Assembly on January 31, various stakeholders including political actors and civil society groups had awaited its signing into law by the Nigerian leader.

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Amid an outcry over the delay in signing the bill into law, sources had indicated that President Buhari was billed to give his assent on Wednesday.

But the signing of the bill failed to take place as scheduled and was rescheduled to Friday, although sources said the President would honour the new date.

Recall that on Tuesday, Civil Society Organisations, CSOs gathered at Eagle Square, Abuja to protest over the alleged delay in the signing into law the piece of legislation expected to strengthen the electoral process.

It will also be recalled that the National Assembly transmitted the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021 to President Buhari on January 31, a second time, having reportedly revised the bill, which he withheld his assent to for some noted reasons.

The President contended that the National Assembly should provide options for political parties in choosing their candidates to stand for elections and not direct primaries as the only option.

He recommended that indirect primaries and even consensus should be included as options available to political parties in choosing their candidates.

However, the President sign the amendment bill into law on Friday, putting all anxieties to rest.

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