Reps Fire Back At AGF Over Comments On Electoral Bill

The House of Representatives has responded to a statement credited to Attorney General of the Federation, and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, that if at any point the presidency discovered that the Electoral Act amendment Bill was passed for selfish interest, assent to same will be withheld.

Spokesman of the House, Benjamin Kalu, while addressing journalists on Thursday however, noted that the National Assembly do not pass laws for selfish interests, but rather for public interest.

He said though the House is self regulatory, yet the scope of the procedure of its operations were well spelt out in the Constitution, and the House’s rules, arguing that “nowhere in the Constitution, nowhere in our rules that selfish interest is found to be basis of our procedures, rather, what you see is public interest”.

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According to him, from all the public engagements like public hearing, town hall meetings and more, “the collective opinion has been that the 2010 Electoral Act is obsolete, in view of the dynamics of our society”, adding that it may not be a perfect piece of legislation, but that it was delivered to strengthen the nation’s democracy.

“Whatever law we make, we make it in the public interest. The element of selfishness should be removed”, the lawmaker insisted, noting that being privilege to be members of the parliament today does not offer a lifetime stay, as the same law embers make today may still apply to them tomorrow.

On the possibility of lobbying the presidency after the Bill was reworked transmitted, Kalu said as a different arm of the government, doing so may be an interference.

“It is not in our position to go lobbying the executive. It will be interfering within the parameter of their mandate. Our work on the Bill was a reflection of the opinion of the people”, he stated, adding that such push could come the CSOs, religious-based Organisations and other interest groups.

On the ongoing constitution review process, the spokesman assured that the National Assembly was still working within the timetable set for itself, saying all things being equal, report from the committees would be laid before at the end of February.

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