Adebayo Fajinmi
President Muhammadu Buhari and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, have filed a suit at the Supreme Court, seeking an interpretation of the controversial clause in the Electoral Amendment Act 2022.
In the suit filed on April 29, Messrs Buhari and Malami who are the plaintiffs listed the National Assembly as the sole defendant, Sahara Reporters reports.
Section 84 (12) has been under an intense debate Nigeria’s political discourse since President Buhari signed the amended Electoral Act 2022 into law in February.
Section 84 (12) of the legislation reads, “No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.”
After signing it into law, the president urged the parliament to delete the controversial clause in the Electoral Act, but the National Assembly declined the president’s request.
This suit comes after the Federal High Court in Umuahia, Abia State, struck out Section 84 (12) on the ground that it was in conflict with some sections of the Nigerian constitution.
