President Muhammadu Buhari has withheld his assent to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021.

In a letter to the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, and read by  AriseTV News monitored in Abuja, the president said prevailing situation in the country would not allow him sign the bill.

Amongst other reasons he cited include high cost of conducting direct primaries, the security challenge of monitoring the election, violation of citizens rights, and marginalisation of small political parties. Buhari also noted that adopting direct primaries has implications on the rights of citizens to participate in the government, as constitutionally insured.

The president said the conduct of direct primaries would 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 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He  explained that the direct consequences of the high cost are monetization and that it will drive and increase financial crimes and constitute further strain on the economy.

Buhari adds that it will also stifle smaller parties without the enormous resources required to mobilize all party members for the primaries, a situation which he said is not healthy for the sustenance of multiparty democracy in Nigeria.

He further stated that security agencies will also be overstretched, as direct primaries will be open to participation from all and sundry.

“Such large turnout without effective security coordination, will also engender intimidation and disruptions, thereby raising credibility issues on the outcomes of such election”, he said.

Significantly, Buhari said: “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.”

He 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 INEC permits direct, indirect and consensus primaries.

Buhari said his decision was based on informed advise by relevant ministries, departments and agencies of government, and careful review of the bill in light of the current realities prevalent in the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the circumstances.

Sun