Electoral Act Amendment Bill: Buhari’s Reason For Declining Assent Fallacious

The refusal of the President Muhammadu Buhari not to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law is not surprising, Spokesman for the Senate, Ajibola Basiru, has said.

In an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme, however, the Senate’s spokesman said some of the President’s reasons for withholding assent were fallacious.

Senator Basiru said the President declining the bill because of security concerns was like refusing to hold elections because of insecurity.

The lawmaker further argued that the President’s claim that the direct primaries would have huge financial implications was wrong.

He said, “We would consider those rational (reasons) adduced, counter-arguments that may be canvassed against whatever reasons the President has given. For instance the argument on the cost that has been raised by Mr President with respect is presumptuous and totally fallacious.

“There is nothing that says the primary election must be conducted on a ward basis, it could be conducted either on a quarterly basis or local government basis. As regards the argument on smaller political parties, they may decide to organise their own at the state level. On the issue of security an extension of that argument would be that because we have security challenges then we should not even hold the 2023 election.”

Meanwhile, at the House of Representatives, the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, addressed the House, noting that action on the bill would be suspended till when the National Assembly resumes from the Christmas and New Year break.

The House adjourned plenary till January 18, 2022, while the Speaker barred committees from sitting until resumption.

The Speaker said the House would act on Buhari’s communication when the National Assembly resumes in January.

He said, “By the time we resume next year, we will be closer to the end of our tenure, with national elections rapidly approaching. In the past, election years have witnessed a decline in governance activities as political pursuits cloud the calendar. That will not be the case this time around.”

But some governors have hailed the President’s decision to reject the bill.

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, while speaking with journalists in Makurdi, said there was a need for the National Assembly to reconsider the clause of direct primaries.

Ortom, however, said the electronic transmission of results would deepen democracy and add value to the electoral system.

He said, “I have been privileged to be a member of various political parties and I know that primaries should be the responsibility of the political parties. Consensus is even better because it solves the problem of acrimony and unnecessary expenditures.

“This also gives opportunity to smaller political parties to participate in the process. Just as the Presidency has done this with the Electoral Act, I call on him to do the same on the economy and insecurity in the nation. He should listen to the views of Nigerians and come out with the architecture in revamping the economy and security of the country.”