President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday signed a bill to ensure that where a vice president succeeds a president and where a deputy governor succeeds a governor, he can no more contest for that office more than once. 

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Ita Enang, who disclosed this to State House correspondents, said: “The fact is that having taken the oath as president once, you can only contest once again and no more. That is the intent of this amendment.”

He said Buhari also signed a bill that gives INEC sufficient time to conduct by-elections, saying it had increased the number from seven to 21 days and generally widened the latitude of the commission to handle election matters on vacancy.

Enang said Buhari also signed the Constitution Fourth Alteration Bill which grants financial autonomy and independence to state Houses of Assembly and state judiciary.

He said the president also signed a bill relating to the determination of pre-election matters, reducing the date and time of determining pre-election matters to ensure that those matters in court do not get into the time of the elections and do not pend.

Source: Daily Trust