House of Representatives is to deliberate on the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the 2021 Electoral Act in January next year.

The Speaker, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, stated this in a speech to mark the adjournment of the House for Christmas and New Year break.

In a letter read by the Speaker at the plenary, President Buhari withheld assent to the bill, citing the cost of conducting direct primaries, security challenges, and possible manipulation of electoral processes as major reasons.

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Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, explained that time was short to address sensitive issue at hand, because members were set to proceed on break and must pass other important bills such as the 2022 Appropriation Bill and the Finance Bill before doing so.

The Speaker however noted that the new bill introduced several innovations, besides direct primaries, to help advance the country’s democracy.

He said the legislature was also considering the merging of many Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of the Federal Government with overlapping functions, to help address increasing inadequacy of budgeting as well as reforming the envelope budgeting system currently being operated.

COV : SALIHU TSIBIRI, ABUJA