The Presidency on Monday said the card reader was not included in the latest Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2018, which President Muhammadu Buhari declined assent to. Enang said the clarification became necessary in view of false allegations by opposition politicians that the card reader provision in the Bill was one of the reasons the president withheld assent to it. “For the avoidance of doubt, I hereby state expressly that the card reader provision addressed by section 49 of the Principal Act was completely, expressly and unequivocally excluded. “The current further revised Bill of Aug.3, which now excludes the card reader, has just 15 clauses in the absolute wisdom of the National Assembly. This, he explained, was an opportunity for the lawmakers to restore the card reader provision when reconsidering the Bill “in its absolute legislative discretion’’.

Source: Punch September 10, 2018 18:09 UTC