From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has not signed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, Presidential sources have confirmed.

Some online platforms claimed in published reports that the President signed the recently amended 2022 electoral act, which was transmitted to him last week Friday, Saturday afternoon.

A member of the House of Representatives Emeka Chinedu representing the Ahiazu/Ezinihittee Mbaise federal constituency in the House of Representatives told BusinessDay that the bill was eventually signed today, May 21.

“I can confirm to you that Mr President signed the bill into law this afternoon and we are all happy about it as it will give us and other statutory delegates the power to vote at the primaries,” Chinedu said.

The Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly (Senate) Matters, Senator Jide Omoworare, on his part said that the president “should have signed,” when contacted.

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Some presidential sources have said there is no truth in the report, pointing out the fact that the bill could not have been signed in secret, combined with the fact that the President had been out of the country in the last 48 hours and just returning to the country.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, who just returned to the country with the President, said the news of the signing, which had already gone viral on social media, was not to his knowledge, saying “it is news to me too”.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Hon Umar El-Yakub, said the viral news could not be true, citing reasons for his conclusion.

According to El-Yakub, referring to the President on the bill, said “he couldn’t have signed it yesterday because he was out of the country and he couldn’t have signed already because he’s just entering the country.

“I also cannot tell you that he will still not sign it or will sign it. He’s the President. But if it will be signed later, we will all know,” he said.