Politics
President Buhari raises another issue 5days after assenting to electoral act
By John Akubo
Barely five days after assenting to Electoral Act 2022, President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the Senate to amend the newly-signed act.
The president in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and read at the plenary demanded the federal lawmakers delete Section 84 (12) outrightly.
The letter reads, “I write to draw your kind attention to some salient issues contained in the act and to seek your immediate legislative action thereon.
“I have carefully studied the recently assented electoral act amendment 2022 I must admit that there are positive provisions that could revolutionalize election process in Nigeria particularly through the introduction of new technological innovations that will in turn guarantee a constitutional rights of citizens to vote and to do that effectively.
“The recently assented electoral act has improved and engendered clarity, effectiveness and transparency of the election process as well as reduce to the bearest minimum incidences of acrimony arising from dissatisfied candidates and political parties.
“I therefore commend the legislative wisdom of the National assembly which is in line with our policy to bequeath to Nigerians and posterity a landmark legal framework that pave the way for credible electoral process that we will all be proud of.
He however drew their attention to the provisions of section 84(12) which, “I believe constitutes a fundamental defects as it is in direct conflict with the extant constitutional provisions Section 84(12) of the act constitutes a disenfranchisement of serving political office holders from voting be voted for at conventions, congresses of any political party for the purpose of nomination of candidates for any election in cases where it holds earlier than 30 days to election. “Section 84(12) of the act provides as follows
No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the Convention or Congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.”
“This provision has introduced qualification and disqualification criteria that ultra vires the Constitution by way of importing blanket restriction and disqualification to serving political office holders of which they are constitutionally accorded protection.
“The practical application of section 84(12) subjects serving political office holders to inhibitions and restrictions reffered to under section 40 and 42 of the 1999 constitution as amended, if is imperative to note that the only constitutional expectation place on serving political office holders that qualify by extension as public officers within the context of the constitution is resignation, withdrawal or retirement at least 30 days before the date of the election as provided in section 6(1)(f) of the 1999 constitution as amended among others, hence it will be “stretching things beyond the constitutional limit to import extraneous restriction into the constitution on account of practical application of section 84(12) of the act, where political parties’ conventions and congresses were to hold earlier than 30 days to the election.”
“Arising from the foregoing I request the National Assembly to consider immediate amendment that will bring the act in conformity with the constitution by way of deleting section 84(12) accordingly
Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has explained that the persistent crisis and legal disputes within the Peoples Democratic Party compelled him to defect to the All Progressives Congress.
The governor’s defection was formally announced on Monday by his deputy, Mani Mummuni, after a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House in Gusau.
In a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the move was described as a necessary step taken in the interest of the state and supported by political stakeholders across Zamfara.
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According to the statement, Governor Lawal had remained committed to the PDP despite the ongoing leadership crisis and had made several efforts to reconcile factions within the party.
However, attempts to achieve peace and unity reportedly failed, leading to prolonged legal battles.
The development followed a judgment by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which dismissed an appeal filed by the PDP challenging an earlier ruling of the Federal High Court.
The earlier judgment had restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising the outcome of the party’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The governor was said to have informed political stakeholders during a series of meetings that he would make a final decision about his political future after the appellate court delivered its ruling.
Following the judgment, Lawal concluded that joining the APC would better position him to continue what he described as the “Zamfara Rescue and Rebuild Mission.”
His defection marks a significant shift in the political landscape of Zamfara State and could influence political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has handed a significant setback to Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, dismissing his appeal challenging a Federal High Court ruling that questioned his eligibility to contest the upcoming governorship election.
A three-member panel delivered a unanimous judgment on Monday, affirming that the trial court acted correctly when it allowed Dr Akindele Egbuwalo, the plaintiff, to amend his originating summons.
ALSO READ: No Shake-Up in Ondo: Aiyedatiwa Denies Plot To Remove Deputy Gov
Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, who read the lead judgment, said the governor failed to show that the High Court’s decision caused any miscarriage of justice or denied him a fair hearing.
The appeal was therefore dismissed for lacking merit, and the court awarded ₦2 million in costs against Aiyedatiwa.
The ruling reinforces the November 24, 2025, Federal High Court decision in Akure, which granted Egbuwalo permission to challenge Aiyedatiwa’s eligibility for re-election.
Earlier, the Court of Appeal also rejected an application by Aiyedatiwa to set aside a January 27, 2026, order staying proceedings in the case before the Federal High Court.
The appellate court clarified that the stay was a lawful exercise of its jurisdiction aimed at protecting the integrity of the proceedings.
The panel further emphasized that attempting to overturn its own order would be akin to sitting on appeal over its own decision.
The governor’s remaining option, the court noted, is to challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court. Another ₦2 million in costs was awarded against Aiyedatiwa.
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party has deepened following a ruling by the Court of Appeal in Abuja which upheld a ban on the party’s proposed national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.
A three-man panel of the appellate court on Monday dismissed an appeal filed by a faction of the party led by former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki, challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to hear a suit concerning the controversial convention.
The Turaki-led faction had approached the Court of Appeal after a Federal High Court barred the party from holding its planned national convention scheduled for November 14 and 15, 2025.
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The lower court also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising or validating the proposed convention.
However, delivering judgment, the appellate court ruled that the Federal High Court had the authority to entertain the case, rejecting the argument that the matter was purely an internal affair of the party.
According to the court, the appellants could not present what it described as a clear violation of the party’s constitution and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as merely an internal party issue.
The panel subsequently dismissed the appeal and awarded a cost of N2 million against the appellants.
The ruling is part of judgments delivered in nine harmonised appeals filed by the Turaki-led faction over the dispute surrounding the convention.
The latest court decision is expected to further intensify the internal wrangling within the opposition party as it continues to grapple with leadership disputes and preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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