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President Muhammadu Buhari has explained why he withheld assent to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021.
He gave his reason in a letter written to the National Assembly, where he said that the current situation in the country would not allow him to sign the bill.
He cited high cost of conducting direct primaries, the security challenge of monitoring the election, violation of citizens’ rights and marginalization of small political parties, among reasons why he rejected the Bill.
President Buhari asked the National Assembly to expunge the direct primary clause and re-present the Bill.
He noted that adopting direct primaries has implications on the rights of citizens to participate in the government, as constitutionally insured.
He added the conduct of direct primaries will lead to a significant spike in the cost of conducting primary elections by parties, as well as the increase in the cost of monitoring such elections by INEC.
He said that the direct consequences of the high cost are monitozation and that it will drives and increase the financial crimes and constitutes further strain on the economy.
He explained that it will also stifle smaller parties without the enormous resources required to mobilize all party members for the primaries, a situation which he says is not healthy for the sustainance of multiparty democracy in Nigeria.
He stated that security agencies will also be overstretched, as direct primaries will be open to participation from all and sundry.
He added that:”Such large turnout without effective security coordination, will also engender intimidation and disruptions, thereby raising credibility issues on the outcomes of such election.The amendment as proposed is the violation of the underlying spirit of democracy, which is characterized by freedom of choices of which political party membership is a voluntary exercise of the constitutional right of freedom of association”
President Buhari also said the proposed amendment might also give rise to a plethora of litigations based on diverse grounds and issues of law, including but not limited to the fact that the proposed amendment could not work in retrospect, given that the existing constitution of the parties already registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) permits direct, indirect and consensus primaries.
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