Afe Olowookere, a member of the House of Representatives, on Tuesday said the National Assembly had the constitutional power to determine the sequence of elections in the country.
Olowookere said it was the duty of the legislative arm to make electoral law and that arrangement for elections was part of it.
The lawmaker, who is representing Akure North/Akure South Federal Constituency of Ondo state, spoke while receiving a letter of commendation from the Correspondents Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalists.
“The National Assembly has the constitutional power to do it since they have to pass the electoral act. The arrangement for elections is part of the electoral act,” he said.
He, however, said some of them argued against the bill but that since the majority of members supported it, the decision was binding on all of them.
Olowookere said: “By the special grace of God I read political science in the university. There is a concept that is called political tyranny.
“What does that mean? It means the majority may be wrong but their decision will prevail.
“As regards the re-ordering of elections, it was an idea of some members and they brought it in form of a bill. We debated it.
“Some of us even argued that it would cause the country more money. Instead of having the elections two times, we would be having it three times.
“But since the majority supported it, it is biding on all of us. So, all of us have to accept responsibility for it.
“Even though I have an argument against it, my argument for it is that this is not the first time we are going to have it in that order.”
