An attempt by the House of Representatives to override the President, Muhammadu Buhari on Section 84(8) of the Electoral Act, 2022, which seeks to provide for statutory delegates at the meetings, congresses and conventions of political parties, has suffered a gargantuan setback.

The Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, had on Wednesday last week, called on members willing to move a motion for the chamber to override Buhari’s veto to do so anytime from last Thursday.

Two members of the Peoples Democratic Party – the Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu and Ben Igbakpa – who failed to emerge as candidates in the recently concluded primaries, had protested on the floor of the House on Wednesday, last week.

On Tuesday, Igbakpa moved a motion, captioned ‘Need to invoke Section 58(5) of the 1999 Constitution to pass again the Electoral Act, 2022,’ in which he recalled the events leading to the move to override the veto.

The lawmaker prayed the House to “invoke Section 58(5) of the 1999 Constitution, with respect to the bill for an Act to amend the Section 84(8) of the Electoral Act, 2022 thereof to allow statutory delegates to participate in political parties’ congress and convention.”

He prayed the House to “communicate the position of the House of Representatives to the Senate for concurrence.”

However, the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, who presided over the session, faulted the procedure adopted by Igbakpa and stepped down the motion.