 Now, the Senate has voted overwhelmingly to stop further amendments to the Electoral Act 2022. Before the consideration of the proposals, Senate President Ahmed Lawan had insisted that Parliament will go ahead to amend section 84 subsection 12 of the Electoral Act despite a court order asking the National Assembly not to temper what the section without the process. The fact that the court said the National Assembly should not temper with law the Electoral Act 2022 as amended, except through due process, does not mean that the National Assembly cannot consider the bill. So I think we are not breaching any law. In fact, we are trying to promote democracy by doing this because to do otherwise, one day someone will go to court and say that the Senate or the National Assembly should not sit. So I want to please appeal to all of us that we are on the right course and my ruling remains that we are going ahead to consider the proposal, the request, which the leader of the Senate is leading the debate. Across section of Senators had stressed on the need to respect the court order, but Lawan insisted that the lawmakers would not be committed any offense if they went ahead or the amendment. In the best possible way to deepen democracy and enhance our constitutional conditions that we are all elected for. Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, there are certain things that we see which we think we don't even have to come here to debate. One of those things is the fact that in every democracy, all over the world, there are certain rules which we don't need to be told about and one of those rules is the fact that you cannot be a referee and a player in the same field. Mr. President, already the parties involved have decided to go for appeal. Among the opinion, Mr. President, the right thing to do is to allow the appeal to go so that the court order can be set aside, then we can come in and treat this bill. This will obviously mean that we are disrespecting that order and this is an institution of the Senate, the symbol of Nigeria's low-making body. We should not be seen to be disobeying the court order no matter how bad that court order is. Mr. President, one of the hallmarks of democracy is justice, fairness, and equity. And indeed, Mr. President, it is a certain matter in law that you cannot be a judge over your own case. In any election, Mr. President, where people have the added advantage of holding executive power, either by proxy or directly, either by appointment, and for such people to have access to compete with others who are who came from the streets, are things that are not just society. Therefore, Mr. President, I disagree with all the argument emanated from your table on the need to reconsider a decision that after deliberations and the bell which was presented on the floor by the leader of the Senate, Yahya Abdelai, the Senate President put the amendment to voice vote and the nays hollet. That this bill be noted a second time. Say aye. That was again saying aye. No, I'm not putting the question again because I put it. I put the question, there was an aye, and there were nays. And I said the nays had it. Meanwhile, the coordinator, Yahya Africa Center for Legislative Engagement, Ernest Ereke, says if the section is considered, it will give appointees equal opportunity to work with other candidates. So when you look at the two things, it tries to ensure that in a situation where the executive appoints a large number of aides, for instance, those aides will not be, will not be delegated in the primary, in the non-nation elections or political parties. Now that ensures that the executive, that the process is not tilted in favor of the executive because over the years, we have seen a situation where governors, for instance, will appoint a resume of aides and these aides become delegates in primary elections. And of course, he who plays the pipe out will ultimately dictate the tune. And so the appointees of the governor, for instance, will definitely vote in line with what the governor wants. So that has been stopped. Now the second leg of it is that you can also not contest primary elections if you are still holding an appointed position. Now that also is to ensure that the privileges attached to those offices that could tilt the convention or the Congress in your favor are taken away from you so that everybody who participates there has a stress of, it has this feeling that it has been a fair and free process. Hello, hope you enjoyed the news. Please do subscribe to our YouTube channel and don't forget to hit the notification button so you get notified about fresh news updates.