“Wait For The 10th National Assembly” – Senate Replies Afe Babalola On Call For 2023 Elections To Be Postponed

The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday told legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) that his recommendations about postponing the 2023 general elections are not in line with modern realities.

The Senate through its spokesperson, Bashir Ajibola said Chief Babalola as a senior legal practitioner should understand that what he is asking for involves constitutional amendments and such takes time.

He added that Babalola should have made his views known when the ninth national assembly called for inputs from Nigerians on the ongoing constitutional review.

The Senate spokesperson stated that it is too late for the current lawmakers to take on such recommendations and therefore urged Babalola to wait till the 10th National Assembly come on board and present his views to them.

Naija News reports Chief Babalola had on Monday during a press conference he addressed in Ado-Ekiti, among other things, advised President Muhammadu Buhari to postpone the 2023 general elections and set up an interim government.

He said the interim government should be in place for six months after the expiration of President Buhari’s tenure and should draft a new constitution that is people-oriented to replace the current 1999 constitution that is currently operational in Nigeria.

Reacting, Ajibola said while the Senate will not join issues with the senior lawyer, his recommendations are out of line and can’t be considered.

Ajibola said: “Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution as amended clearly states the procedure for amendment and as a lawyer, Afe Babalola supposed to know all this.

“His comment is more political than legal and his suggestions cannot stand in line with modern reality. For instance, pegging the age of political offices is not in tandem with the provision of the Constitution as it stands today and even the America that we are copying doesn’t have such provision in their Constitution.

“On the job of a President is not a bricklayers job, it involves intellect and vision for the development of the country.”

Reacting to one of the recommendations by Babalola that lawmakers in the country should be engaged on a part-time basis and paid sitting allowance only, Ajibola said the SAN clearly doesn’t understand the functions and responsibilities of legislators in the country.

“We are not only making laws, but we carry out oversight functions.

“We entertain the views of our constituents because we are not in a military era where somebody with a military fiat will come out with a new system of government without following due process,” he said.

He added that Babalola will do well to present his opinions to the next National Assembly who might have enough time to consider them.

“All these things would have been suggested during the call for memoranda preparatory to Constitutional amendment. Unfortunately, he did not come up with any suggestions during the ongoing Constitutional amendment.

“If he is so passionate about the suggestion he is making now, he should wait for the next Assembly where he will have the opportunity to submit his personal opinion for consideration,” he said.