The debate on proposed amendments to the Electoral Act, 2010 took a dramatic turn at the House of Representatives on Tuesday as Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers and their All Progressives Congress rivals disagreed over the power of the President to deploy troops for operations.
A new amendment to the Act seeks to empower the Independent National Electoral Commission as the only authority that can request the deployment of security agencies for election purposes.
The proposal, however, clarifies that where the Armed Forces are to be deployed, it should be restricted to the “distribution and delivery of election materials.”
But disagreement on the proposal started when the PDP lawmakers insisted that the President had “absolute and prerogative” powers to deploy troops as he deemed fit.
The Deputy House Majority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor, who argued the position of the PDP, stated that troop deployment was a constitutional matter.
“We all know that this is a constitutional issue. The President can deploy troops for operations; it is his prerogative,” he added.
But, the Minority Leader and APC leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, noted that his PDP rivals were merely turning the law on its head.
He observed that while the President could deploy troops, the same 1999 Constitution gave a condition that it should be done in accordance with the provisions of a law passed by the National Assembly.
“This Electoral Act is a law of the National Assembly. It will, therefore, mean that soldiers can be used in the way stipulated by this Act,” he said during the Wednesday’s session, presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha.
Ogor and Gbajabiamila raised voices at each other, as Ihedioha tried to calm both sides down.
Ihedioha later sought the intervention of the Chairman, House Committee on Rules/Business, Mr. Albert Sam-Tsokwa, to guide the debate.
Sam-Tsokwa said the muscle-flexing by the two leaders was not necessary because the essence of the debate on the general principles of any billý was to “prepare those who will work on it at the committee stage to do the appropriate thing by complying with the position of the law.”
On his part, the Minority Whip, Mr. Samson Osagie, decried the use of the Armed Forces for election duties.
He stated that the deployment of soldiers for “operational reasons” envisaged in the constitution was for the defence of the territorial integrity of the country, and not for elections.
“Election is not war; it is a civic activity. Our regular security agencies, particularly, the police, can be deployed for election duties and it stops there,” he said.
Despite the disagreement, the bill passed the second reading in a majority voice vote and was referred to the committee stage for further legislative action.
A similar drama took place when Gbajabiamila stalled the presentation of a report on the composition of the minority leadership of the House.
He had protested that as a leader in the House, he ought to have been briefed on the content of the report in line with House rules, before the presentation.
“I have not been called to any meeting of the leadership of the House, where we were briefed. Except you are telling me that the other side (the PDP) was briefed and I was left out,” he added.
The report in question had to do with a point of order raised by Ogor three weeks ago.
He had observed that the domination of the minority leadership by the APC was in breach of House rules.
Ogor pointed out that in line with the rules, the leadership should be composed of members of the APC, the Labour Party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance and the Accord Party, which were the other minority parties in the House.
The APC currently holds the positions of Minority Leader; Minority Whip; Deputy Minority Leader; and Deputy Minority Whip.
But Gbajabiamila stalled the presentation of the report, which was to be done by Sam-Tsokwa, on the grounds that he had not been briefed on the content.
In a bid to douse tension, Ihedioha stood it down till Wednesday (today) “after all consultations would have been done.”
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