You Can't Ask Buhari Not to Sign Amended Electoral Act Bill, CSOs Tell Governors
● APC youths rationalise direct primaries
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the country have told governors that they were not in a position to ask President Muhammadu Buhari not to sign the 2021 Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law, because of certain clauses they were not comfortable with.
The CSOs under the aegis of Civil Society Partners on Electoral Reform, yesterday, described the position of some governors on the electoral act amendment bill as “unpopular and narrow,” saying they could not dictate to President Buhari not to assent to the bill.
The National Assembly had earlier in the month transmitted the Electoral Act Amendment Bill to the President for his assent.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) youth have explained why direct mode of primaries for political parties to elect to their candidates in any election was a good idea, even though they were yet to take a position.
However, the CSOs in a statement issued by the Executive Director, Adopt A Goal for Development Initiative, Ariyo-Dare Atoye, and endorsed by Centre for Liberty, Raising New Voices, Youth and Students Advocates for Development Initiative (YSAD), NESSACTION, The Nigerian Alliance, The Art and Civics Table and Speak Out Africa Initiative, had observed that since the president could not dictate to the governors on what they do with bills passed at the state level, they also have no basis interfering in what the president does at the federal level.
The organisations stressed that it was also President Buhari's prerogative to sign the electoral bill into law based on popular demand, urging the governors not to obstruct the popular will of Nigerians on the electoral bill but concentrate on rebuilding their parties, ensuring internal party reforms, embark on digitisation of membership registration and dues payments.
“The position of some of our governors on the new electoral act amendment bill is unpopular and narrow, and it conflicts with the public interest of Nigerians.
“Our governors should not serve as obstacles or constitute an impediment to the signing of the new electoral bill, because it has substantially met the expectations of Nigerians. It is the prerogative of Mr. President to sign the bill and make history, and it is not in the public interest for the governors to ask him not to sign it.
“The President has a glorious opportunity to take a popular action, etch his name in gold and side with the people by signing the bill into law. The President does not dictate to the governors, when they sign bills into law at the state level; they should therefore not push him to do what will bring him into public opprobrium and create disenchantment for the electoral process.”
On their part, the APC youths through their National Leader, Mr. Ismael Ahmed, who fielded questions from journalists after the Youth Leaders and Stakeholders meeting at the APC National Secretariat yesterday in Abuja, believed that direct primaries would give opportunity for open inclusion.
"On the issue of direct primaries or indirect primaries, like I said, this is not an exhaustive meeting. So, there are certain things we did not discuss. But, ordinarily as members of the party, we love direct primaries, because it's an opportunity for open inclusion. Everybody gets involved in deciding.
"Of course, there are certain things that we are afraid of, maybe the magnitude of the exercise, whether or not any political party in this country should be restricted to a single way of bringing out candidates and whether or not we have the manpower to man 8,812 wards when we are doing primaries.
"But, other than that, it is an open season, it is an opportunity for young people to participate in the process. So, direct primaries is something that we will encourage. The party needs to do a lot of homework before it gets to that point. It's not a decision we have taken. I'm just saying my own opinion," Ahmed stated.