Gbajabiamila: Only Authentic Electoral Bill will Be Passed

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila yesterday debunked reports that the Electoral Act Amendment Bill has been altered, declaring that only the authentic bill will be passed.

He decried reports that the lawmakers were planning to remove electronic transmission of election results from the Electoral Act amendment bill, saying that they were yet to receive the report from the committee.

Gbajabiamila’s statement was in response to a point of order raised by a member, Hon. Ugonna Ozurigbo, who said his constituents have inundated him with calls, demanding why the lawmakers would refuse electronic transfer of election results.

Ozurigbo said: “A number of Nigerian have been calling me to express worry about the alteration to the electoral act. I don’t know the information going around where they said that we carefully amended Section 50 Subsection 2 that the agreed electronically transmitted election result have been changed to manually transmitted. I think my privilege has been breached.’’

Responding, the Speaker said he had made it a habit not to respond to every media report, as the committee saddled with the responsibility of working on the Electoral Act was yet to submit a report to the House.

“I really don’t want to speak to a report that has not been submitted to this house. We have procedures, time-tested,” he said.

“The committee has been given an assignment, they will do their work and present its report and house of as a whole will vote on that report clause by clause.

“Only the committee’s authentic report like it has always been, will take hold on the floor of the house, nothing more, nothing less.

“I have asked the chairman of that committee; she is not aware of any such. So it remains on the realm of speculations and we will be waiting until the committee submits its reports. Like I said that will be done before we close on the 14th (of July).”