Don’t weaken our electoral institutions, group warns NASS

The National Assembly has been urged to thread with caution on its bid to override President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto of the amendments of the electoral law.

In a statement in Abuja signed by its chairman, Austin Braimoh, the Buhari Media Support Group (BMSG), cautioned that any move by the lawmakers to override the President’s veto would amount to an affront and threat to the democratic principles that ushered them into power.

The group, while highlighting that the President, in his wisdom, did not give his assent to the proposed amendments and any amendment would erode the sacrosanct independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission and urged Nigerians to resist any attempt to weaken and destroy country’s democratic institution, as the constitution empowers INEC with all matters that affect the organising and supervising of elections and any move by the legislature to arrogate such roles to itself would be an attack on our democracy. 

“INEC is not just any commission that the National Assembly can interfere with its mandate and how it carries it out. It is the bedrock of our democracy, as it is given the constitutional powers of organising elections.

“It is worrisome that those who are beneficiaries of the independence of this institution are attempting to infringe on that same independence that brought them to office.

“INEC is an independent body that should not be subjected to the unholy interventions by the legislature. If the National Assembly goes ahead to override the President’s withholding of assent, they would have successfully dealt a blow to Nigeria’s electoral body,” it stressed.

The group noted that what the President has done by withholding his assent amounts to upholding and strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions.