"We'll look at it again for the third time, because this is the second time the President has returned it," Namdas said. "So, when we resume, we'll certainly go through it again and then make our position known; but I can tell you it is our desire that the Electoral Act should become a law."
Honourable Abdul-Razak Namdas, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Media and Publicity, says the National Assembly won't exercise its veto power yet despite President Muhammadu Buhari's two-time refusal to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
"We'll look at it again for the third time, because this is the second time the President has returned it," Namdas said.
"So, when we resume, we'll certainly go through it again and then make our position known; but I can tell you it is our desire that the Electoral Act should become a law."
He accused opponents of credible elections of dissuading President Muhammadu Buhari from signing the new Electoral Act bill into law.
Maintaining that the new Electoral Act was drafted with the best of intentions for the country's electoral process, Namdas said if signed into law, "Nigeria will be the greatest beneficiary".
He, however, regretted that elements opposed to positive change had vowed to scuttle any instrument that will sanitise the electoral process, which would improve on the credibility of elections in the country.
Asked if President Buhari' refusal of assent was part of the ruling party's tactics of holding onto power, Namdas responded: "I've been asked this question several times. You know I'm a member of the APC and a very good supporter of the President.
"But if I were to talk to him personally or directly, I'll ask him for a favour; I'll tell him ‘Mr. President, kindly sign the Electoral Act’, because I know we had good intentions about the Electoral Act.
"However, I think he declined his assent based on the advice of some people; they were telling him of certain draft problems, which to me is technical.”
Namdas highlighted benefits of the new Electoral Act, stating that "Notwithstanding, I feel that what we stand to gain with the new act is more than whatever problems may have been spotted therein.
"For instance, the new act provides accreditation through the electronic means only, as we captured it. Also, if for any reason the card reader fails to read one's PVC during accreditation, it must be sourced through another one, even if it means continuing the following day.”
SaharaReporters' checks with political pundits revealed that exclusive electronic accreditation may be detrimental to the ruling APC, following allegations of underage voting and other forms of electoral fraud that marred the 2015 elections.