By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
With Nigerians waiting on the National Assembly to discover whether or not President Muhammadu Buhari has given his Assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill sent to him a month ago, a Ranking Member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rima Shawulu Kwewum has said that the 9th NASS has no capacity to override the President.
He also took a swipe at Nigerians for being very politically docile in the face of the festering security, economic and political challenges in the country.
Hon. Rima Shawulu who was the guest of African Independent Television (AIT) breakfast programme Kakaaki on Monday insists that the 240-member House of Representatives will not summon the courage to override President Buhari if truly he did not Assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill after the mandatory period to do so.
According to him: “I hate to debate if the 9th National Assembly can override Presidential Veto. The truth is that this 9th National Assembly does not have the will, does not have capacity to override President Buhari. This is what it is”.
Hon. Rima Shawulu who is of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Green Chambers posited that neither the House of Representatives nor Senate has the political will to override the President hence Nigerians should forget about the much-awaited Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
The lawmaker representing Donga/Ussa/Takum/Special Area Federal Constituency of Taraba State, also berated Nigerians for their lukewarm attitude towards their political future hence the type of leaders they have representing them.
Said he: “If you look critically, the Nigerian populace have no confidence in the three arms of government- Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. For this reason they stay away from active participation in what happens in the society.
“Our people are very docile to a fault. Elsewhere, the refusal to Assent to a critical piece of law that will affect the lives of citizens adversely will be met with strong protests across the country that will be difficult to stop”.
Asked what NASS members will do next should the President refuse to Assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, Hon. Rima Shawulu made it clear that they will not do nothing.
Said he: “Well, members of both Chambers will huff and puff but will, as usual, toe the party lines especially the present National Assembly populated by the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC). I bet with everything I hold dear that this 9th NASS has no capacity to override President Buhari”.
He however, said some patriotic members will “bark” but will not bite as they will not be protected by even the electorate should they lose face with their state governors who helped to put them in the office.
“Many of the people in the NASS today were handpicked by their state governors, now that the Bill has been thrown out especially the Direct Primary which they smuggled into the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, they will now run back to reconcìle with their governors”.
“In other climes like in the UK and USA , credible people are been recruited by political parties to represent them in the Legislature without such people going through primary elections where the state governors determine who goes to the House”, Hon. Rima Shawulu stated.
