Onyedi Igwe, Port Harcourt
The Governor Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari lacks the power request the National Assembly to amend the Electoral Act.
The Governor made the comment in a statement by his Special Assistant Media, Mr Kelvin Ebiri on Saturday.
He said that it was wrong of the President to have sent a letter requesting the NASS to amend Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act, 2022.
He argued further that Buhari lacked the powers to interpret Section 84:12, to arrive at his submission that it could disenfranchise political appointees and to suggest an amendment.
He stressed that the President’s interpretation of the particular Section was nothing other than a usurpation of the powers the judiciary to interpret the law as provide for in the 1999 constitution as amended.
“Unfortunately, what we have today is where the executive arm has taken the position and the role of the judiciary of interpreting the law. The legislature said this is what we have done, it is not the duty of Mr President to interpret that Act.
“The duty of Mr. President is to assent to the bill, let those who are affected, if at all, go to the court to challenge that particular provision, and not for Mr President to write to National Assembly to say there is a conflict.
“That is usurpation of the power of the judiciary. You want to make the judiciary to be idle.”
However, the Governor hailed the passage of the bill granting full financial and administrative autonomy to the local government by the National Assembly.
” I believe that the local government should be autonomous, and the only way you solve this problem is that funds allocated and meant for local government should go to them directly”, he said.