ABUJA — The federal government will carry out a ruling ordering the repeal of Section 84 (12) of the amended Electoral Act, 2022.
According to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami’s spokesperson, Umar Gwandu, the federal government would take the required action in response to the court verdict.
“The court’s verdict will be recognized by the government printers in publishing the Electoral Act.
“In accordance with Chapter 7, Part 4, Section 287 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), all authorities and persons should make it a point of duty to ensure that the judgment of the Umahia division of the Federal High Court, among others, was enforced,” the statement added.
On February 25, President Buahri signed the electoral act amendment bill, but requested that section 84 (12) be deleted, which states that “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.”
On March 9, the Senate voted down the president’s request to amend the clause, while the House of Representatives was yet to take a decision on the matter.
In a decision on Friday, Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the federal high court in Umuahia, Abia State, ruled that the section was unconstitutional, invalid, illegal, null, void and cannot stand.
Anyadike noted that the 1999 constitution’s sections 66(1)(f), 107(1)(f), 137(1)(f), and 182(1)(f) already provided that government appointees intending to contest elections must resign at least 30 days prior to the election date.
