Amended Electoral Bill: Lawmakers were dictatorial – Buhari

By James Jibril

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he failed to sign the amended Electoral Bill into law because the members of the National Assembly were being dictatorial by providing only the option of Direct Primary for political parties.

The President made the disclosure in an exclusive interview with Channels Television’s Maupe Ogun and Seun Okinbaloye on Wednesday.

He assured Nigerians that he would sign the Bill if the options of Indirect Primary and Consensus are included in the Electoral Act.

“I don’t think I told them what I don’t like. What I said is there should be options. We must not insist that it must be Direct. There should be Consensus and Indirect.

“I would sign the bill if Consensus and Indirect Primary are included. All I want is that there should be options.

“You can’t dictate to people and say you are in a democracy. Allow them to have other options so they can make their choices,” Buhari stated.

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President Buhari had withheld his assent to the amended Electoral Bill, citing the cost of conducting direct primary elections, security challenges, and possible manipulation of electoral processes by political actors as part of the reasons for his decision.

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives could not immediately take an action after the decline but they promised to adequately address the issue in January.

During a plenary in December, Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, had explained that the time was short to address such a sensitive issue.

At the upper chamber, the Senate also resolved to consult with the House of Representatives in January when both chambers would be in session.

While the lawmakers have yet to resume from recess or deliberate on the bill, President Buhari said the legislators were dictatorial in their action.

Stressing the importance of allowing people to choose from available options, he relived the events that led to his election into office and ended the 16 years rule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015.

“Personally, I do not support direct primary because I want people to be given a choice,” he said.

The President, however, promised to sign the bill should the National Assembly include Consensus and Indirect Primary to the amended Electoral Bill.