National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Debo Ologunagba, on Wednesday, faulted the delay by President Muhammadu Buhari in signing the amended version of the Electoral Act (section 84 (8), which provides for elected officials to take part in primaries of political parties.
According to Ologunagba, the delay is part of the ruling party’s plot to disrupt preparations by opposition political parties in order to disenfranchise Nigerians.
He said: “It is not surprising but disappointing and dislocating. As at today, parties do not know for certain who the delegates are and democracy thrives on certainty.
“The APC is not a political party. It was cobbled together as a Special Purpose Vehicle to grab power. Now it is in power look at where it has led us.”
Meanwhile, the Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has also asked President Buhari to immediately sign the amendment to the Electoral Act 2022 transmitted to him by the National Assembly to avoid a political crisis.
The amendment is to allow elected representatives, including the President, Vice President, Governors and Deputy Governors to vote during party primaries as statutory delegates.
Minority Leader of the House, Hon Ndudi Elumelu said in a statement that the President’s delay in signing the single amendment to Section 84 (8) to the Electoral Act 2022 has thrown the nation into serious confusion and constitutes a huge threat to our democracy and the smooth conduct of the 2023 general elections.
Elumelu urged the President to note that any further delay in signing the amendment to the Electoral Act to give political parties a sense of direction in the conduct of primaries for the election of candidates for the 2023 general elections has the capacity to derail our entire democratic process.
The Minority Reps said: “As representatives of the people, the Minority Caucus urges Mr. President to avert an imminent political crisis which has the capacity of exacerbating the security situation in the country by immediately signing the Amendment to the Electoral Act 2022 and leave a legacy of a credible electoral process to the nation.
“Our caucus calls on all Nigerians, the Civil Society, the International Community and all lovers of democracy to prevail on President Buhari to immediately sign the amendment to the Electoral Act 2022 and save our nation from an avoidable crisis.”
Sources: VANGUARD/THE NATION
