Media mogul and Presidential aspirant for 2023, Dumebi Kachikwu, on Wednesday, congratulated the Senate for its courage and patriotism in thrashing a Bill seeking to amend the Electoral Act 2022.
Kachikwu who is the Chairman of Roots Television Nigeria, in a statement in Abuja, described the action of the Senators as a “bold and heroic act.”
He said, “The Senate deserves the commendation of all for rejecting a Bill seeking to expunge Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act, 2022, which bars appointed political office holders from contesting elective political positions without first resigning their appointments.
“Nobody can eat his cake and have it. Therefore, let political appointees seeking to contest political positions first resign their appointments before partaking in primaries.
“I think this is fair, just and equitable. Let all aspirants seeking political offices be on same footing.
“This bold and heroic act by the Senate will ensure that political appointees seeking elective offices will not use government resources at their disposal to stifle or muzzle the chances of other aspirants.
“The era for using national resources to procure elective position is gone for good.”
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had in a letter to the upper chamber on the 25th February, 2022, requested the lawmakers to expunge section 84(12) of the Electoral Act.
However, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, in an order, barred the President, Attorney-General of the Federation, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and other critical stakeholders from altering the Act.
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, had rejected the ruling of the Federal High Court saying the Senate would go ahead to amend the Bill as required by law.
The Bill was passed for first reading on Tuesday by the Senate.
However Senators voted overwhelmingly to reject the Bill on Wednesday during its consideration for second reading.
