Finally, Buhari signs amended electoral bill into law

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the re-worked Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law.

Mr Buhari signed the bill into law a few minutes after noon, after months of controversy over aspects the president was not comfortable with especially the modes of primaries to be approved for political parties

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, had disclosed on Tuesday during an interview on Sunrise Daily that Mr Buhari would sign the bill soon.

“He (Buhari) will sign it (the bill) any moment from now,” he said while appearing on Channels TV. ”It could be today, it could be tomorrow, it could be anytime, but within the 30 days.

“It could be signed today; it could be signed tomorrow. In a matter of hours, not days. Hours could be 24 hours, it could be 48 hours; not days, not weeks.”

The president signed the bill at the Presidential Villa in the presence of the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and other officers.

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The National Assembly had in January, transmitted the bill to the president for assent – after the latter had rejected the legislation five times.

In the newly signed bill, the lawmakers had addressed the issue raised by the president – the mode of primaries for political parties to elect candidates for political offices.

In the new electoral law, parties have the option of using direct, indirect or consensus modes of primaries

More details soon