By Edo Michael
President Muhamadu Buhari has rejected the Electoral Amendment Bill. Buhari stated that the Amended Electoral Bill violates the underlying spirit of democracy.
This was contained in a letter sent to the National Assembly and read in the floor of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The Senate President, Sen. Ahmad Lawan read the letter to the Senate, while the Speaker, Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila read that of the House of Representatives.
The president said his decision to decline assent to the bill was informed by counsel from the relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDA).
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In November, the national assembly transmitted the bill to the president for his assent.
Among other amendments, the bill makes compulsory direct primaries for political parties and electronic transmission of election results as proposed by the national assembly.
The president said the amendment may open up the electoral system to a plethora of litigations based on diverse grounds and issues of law, adding that adopting direct primary violates the spirit of democracy.
The amendment as proposed is in 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,” Buhari said in the letter.
“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.
“I hereby signify to the national assembly that I am constrained to withhold assent to the bill in line with section 58 (1) of the 1999 constitution.”
