The Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Sadiq Umar, says overriding President Buhari on the Electoral Act Bill will plunge the country into a constitutional crisis.
Senator Umar who represents Kwara North at the National Assembly stated this while featuring on the Correspondents’ Chapel program title “News Keg” at the NUJ Press Center in Ilorin.
According to him, the senators did not do a u-turn on the issue but were forced by the decision of the House of Representatives to stand down the debate on the President’s letter.
He explained that the letter sent to the National Assembly by President Buhari gave reasons why he could not assent.
Senator Umar explained that the senators were ready to override the President, adding that the House of Representatives, unfortunately,
felt it was a hot matter that need more consultations and engagement after the holiday.
He noted that even if the Senate eventually overruled the president, it will have been null and void, noting that there has to be concurrence between the two chambers.
Senator Umar maintained that the action taken by the lawmakers was a strategic decision to avoid a constitutional crisis.
Reporting by Ali Rabiu; editing by Abdullahi Lamino