Electoral Amendment bill to be laid July 13 – House of Reps Spokesman
Mr Benjamin Kalu, the Spokesman for the House of Representatives said that the electoral amendment bill would be laid on July 13 before the House goes on recess.
He said this at a news conference in Abuja, stating that the report would be laid before the National Assembly proceeded on recess.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kalu’s clarification was coming against the backdrop of speculations that the electoral amendment bill had been tinkered with by members of the committee.
According to him, people are judging and speaking too soon on the electoral bill, not knowing the National Assembly does not operate on the pages of newspapers. Adding that a bill must go through the whole “nine-yard”, before it would be considered, stressing that it would be unfair if the House was judged, based on mere speculation.
Kalu agreed that it was the right of every Nigerian to ask questions and expressed their opinion, but added that they must ask such questions, based on knowledge and required facts. Until the report goes through the Committee of a Whole, He confirmed that it would not become an official document.
All news of tinkering with the electoral bill remained in the realms of speculation and a hasty conclusion as the Reps Spokesman said that if any alteration found it’s way into the electoral bill, “we can then make the requisite noise.”
He stated that for now, the House would not address the issue on what was not before it, adding that as of now, the report had not yet been brought the House.
On the issue of PIB, Kalu said he had encouraged most of its members to explain the details of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to their constituents.
He said that the interface, as well as the engagement, had revealed that the agitation among Nigerians had been doused and are beginning to soften the perception of some people in certain quarters. Stating that there was nothing self-serving in the laws the National Assembly made for Nigerians and that it would always do things that reflected their will.
Suzan O/NAN
