Connect with us

News

READ President Buhari’s Letter Refusing Assent to Electoral Act Amendment Bill

Electoral Bill

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has rejected the Electoral Act 2010 Amendment Bill. The president’s bone of contention with the Senate is the sole recommendation of direct primaries to political parties for the selection of flagbearers.

In a letter addressed to the upper and lower legislative chamber and read at the Senate on Tuesday the 21st of December, the president listed his reasons for his decisions among which included that direct primaries would have serious adverse legal, financial, economic, and security consequences which the country was not prepared for in view of her peculiarities.

The president further explained in his letter dated 13th of December 2021 that he had come to the decision following review and advice from relevant Ministries, Departments, and Government Agencies.

Read Also: INEC, Civil Society Call For The Amendment Of Electoral Bill

Buhari also stated that the bill, which supports the electronic transmission of votes, would hamper citizens’ rights to participate in government.

The Presidents Letter Titled WITHHOLDING OF ASSENT TO ELECTORAL ACT (AMENDMENT) BILL 2021 Reads Thus;

Further to the letter dated 18th November, 2021 forwarded for Presidential assent, the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 as passed by the National Assembly, I have received informed advice from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Government, and have also carefully reviewed the Bill in light of the current realities prevalent in the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the circumstances.

Arising from the review, Mr. Senate President may wish to note that the conduct of elections for the nomination of party candidates solely via direct primaries as envisaged by the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 has serious adverse legal, financial, economic and security consequences which cannot be accommodated at the moment considering our Nation’s peculiarities. It also has implications on the rights of citizens to participate in the government as constitutionally ensured.

The Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 seeks to amend certain provisions of the extant Electoral Act 2010. Part of the objective of the Bill is the amendment of the present Section 87 of the Electoral Act, 2010 to delete the provision for the conduct of indirect primaries in the nomination of party candidates such that party candidates can henceforth only emerge through direct primaries.

Arising from the review, Mr. Senate President may wish to particularly note the pertinent issues implicated as follows to wit:

The conduct of direct primaries across the 8,809 war the length and breadth of the country will lead to a significant spike in the cost of conducting primary elections by parties as well as increase in the cost of monitoring such elections by INEC who has to deploy monitors across these wards each time a party is to conduct direct primaries for the presidential, gubernatorial and legislative posts.

The addition of these costs with the already huge cost of conducting general elections will inevitably lead to huge financial burden on both the political parties, INEC and the economy in general at a time of dwindling revenues.

The indirect consequences of the issues of high cost and monetization are that it will raise financial crimes and constitute further strain on the economy. It will also stifle smaller parties without the enormous resources required to mobilise all party members for the primaries. This is not healthy for the sustenance of multi-party democracy in Nigeria.

In addition to increased costs identified above, conducting and monitoring primary elections across 8,809 wards will pose huge security challenges as the security agencies will also be overstretched, direct primaries will be open to participation from all and sundry and such large turn-out without effective security coordination will also engender intimidation and disruptions, thereby raising credibility issues for the outcomes of such elections.

The amendment as proposed is a violation of the underlying spirit of democracy which is characterized by freedom of choices.

Political party membership is a voluntary exercise of the constitutional right to freedom of association. Several millions of Nigerians are not card-carrying members of any political party.

Thus, the emphasis should be on enabling qualified Nigerians to vote for the candidate of their choice during general elections as a means of participation in governance and furtherance of the concept of universal adult suffrage or universal franchise.

The proposed amendment may also give rise to plethora of litigations based on diverse grounds and issues of Law including but not limited to the fact that the proposed amendment cannot work in retrospect given that the existing constitution of the Parties already registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) permits direct, indirect and the consensus primaries. This real possibility, will, without doubt, truncate the electoral program of the Nation as another electoral exercise is imminent towards a change of Government in 2023.

Nigeria is at the moment still grappling with the issues of monetization of the political process and vote buying at both party and general elections. The direct implication of institutionalizing only direct primaries is the aggravation of over-monetization of the process as there will be much more people a contestant needs to reach out to thereby further fuelling corruption and abuse of office by incumbent contestants who may resort to public resources to satisfy the increased demands and logistics of winning party primaries.

Direct primaries are also subject or susceptible to manipulation or malpractices as most parties cannot boast of reliable and verified Membership Register or valid means of identification which therefore means non-members can be recruited to vote by wealthy contestants to influence the outcome. Rival parties can also conspire and mobilize people to vote against a good or popular candidate in a party during its primaries just to pave way for their own candidates. Whereas where voting is done by accredited delegates during indirect primaries, the above irregularities are not possible.

The major conclusions arrived at upon the review are highlighted hereunder, to wit:

Asides its serious adverse legal, financial, economic, and security consequences, the limitation or restriction of the nomination procedures available to political parties and their members constitutes an affront to the right to freedom of association. It is thus undemocratic to restrict the procedure or means of nomination of candidates by political parties, as it also amounts to undue interference in the affairs of political parties.

Indirect primaries or collegiate elections are part of internationally accepted electoral practices. More so, direct primaries are not free from manipulations and do not particularly guarantee the emergence of the will of the people especially in circumstances like ours where it is near impossible to sustain a workable implementation framework or structure thereof.

In the premise of the above, I hereby signify to the National Assembly that I am constrained to withhold assent to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 in line with the provisions of Section 58(1) & (4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

It is my considered position that the political parties should be allowed to freely exercise right of choice in deciding which of direct or indirect primaries to adopt in the conduct of their primary elections as their respective realities may permit.

Many including Senators, Governors, and Stakeholders have openly lauded or opposed the president’s decision.

Related Topics:
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Former Osun State Governor Aregbesola Expelled From The APC

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced the expulsion of former Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola for alleged anti-party activities.

The ousted party chieftain governed Osun State for two terms and served as a minister under immediate former President Muhammadu Buhari, all on the APC platform.

He’s the leader of a faction in the Osun APC known as The Osun Progressives, later rebranded as the Omoluabi Caucus.

In a letter that surfaced on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, the APC leadership officially confirmed that Aregbesola had been shown the exit door.

itled ‘Allegations of Anti-Party Activities – Conveyance of State Exco Decision to You,’ the letter accused the former Governor of breaching Article 21 of the party’s constitution, which outlines disciplinary measures for members.

“At the end of the investigation, the State Executive Committee (SEC) considered the report of the Disciplinary Committee. Having carefully reviewed the findings and recommendations, the SEC resolved to approve your immediate expulsion from the APC.

“The decision was predicated on clear evidence of your actions, which undermined the unity and integrity of the party. As a result, you are no longer a member of the APC and must refrain from holding yourself out as one or acting on behalf of the party in any capacity,” the letter partly read.

Aregbesola’s expulsion comes days after he presided over a meeting of the Omoluabi Caucus, at which the group announced its decision to leave the APC, citing the party’s waning influence in Osun.

In October 2024, the Osun APC announced that Aregbesola had been suspended following accusations of anti-party activities.

The party had accused the former minister of fostering division within the APC by establishing a splinter faction, undermining party unity in the state.

This was contained in a formal resolution submitted by the party’s Osun chapter to Dr. Umar Ganduje, the APC National Chairman.

It alleged that “Aregbesola’s actions have fueled internal divisions,” threatening cohesion during a crucial phase in the party’s activities.

Continue Reading

News

There are more fraudsters in govt than ‘Yahoo boys’ outside – Peter Obi

Peter Obi

The Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has launched another scathing criticism against the incumbent administration, saying there are more fraudsters in government than ‘Yahoo boys’ outside.

Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, stressed that the country is at the mercy of corrupt officials who siphon resources from government coffers.

The Labour Party chieftain made this known in his keynote address as a guest speaker at Nexford University’s 4th graduation ceremony on Saturday, January 25, 2025.

Speaking at the event, which was themed ‘Lead the change; ignite your future,’ Obi said the entire country has become a crime scene, with government officials stealing as much as those outside the government.

“For governance, don’t think when we talk about vices, it is only Yahoo boys. There are more Yahoo people in government than there are outside because we have turned the entire country into a crime scene where people inside are stealing, and people outside are stealing,” he said.

The former Governor emphasized the need for quality leadership to manage the country’s affairs, urging the graduates to become positive change agents in their communities.

“It is about leadership and igniting the future. It is not rocket science, but it is difficult. It is being able to have a strong character and the ability not to do the wrong thing.

“It is for you to help bring a better change in the society that you want to live in. You have acquired knowledge today. Use what you have learned to help us change society.

“You are a victim of Nigeria because our age and the age before has refused to do what is right, and you are suffering it,” he added.

Continue Reading

News

NLC Tackles FG and Telcos Over Tariff Hike

The leadership of the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) has criticized the Federal Government and telecommunications companies for the 50% increase in data and airtime tariffs across the country.

The organized labor rejected the decision, likening it to an assault on Nigerians’ welfare considering the rising cost of living and skyrocketing inflation.

Joe Ajaero, the NLC President who spoke to journalists at the Labour House in Abuja on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, said the increase exemplified the government’s apparent preference for prioritizing corporate profits over citizens’ welfare.

He called for an immediate embargo on the hike’s implementation while lampooning National Assembly members for not standing with the Nigerian people regarding specific policies.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) expresses its unequivocal condemnation of the Federal Government’s recent approval, through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), of a 50% increase in telecommunication tariffs.

“This decision, coming at a time when Nigerian workers and the masses are grappling with unprecedented economic hardship, is a clear assault on their welfare and an abandonment of the people to corporate fat cats,” he said.


Ajaero, who called for mass action against the hike, wondered why critical stakeholders had never engaged in a dialogue before the decision was announced.

“Telecommunication services are essential for daily communication, work, and access to information. Yet, an average Nigerian worker already spends approximately 10% of their wages on telecom charges.

“For a worker earning the current minimum wage of ₦70,000, this means an increase from ₦7,000 to a staggering ₦10,500 per month or 15% of his salary—an unsustainable cost.

“This hike exemplifies the government’s apparent ease in prioritizing corporate profits over citizens’ welfare.

“It is shocking that the government approved this 50% tariff increase for telecom companies within a month, yet it took nearly a year to approve the recent minimum wage for workers, despite the rising cost of living and inflation eroding purchasing power.

“This glaring disparity underscores a troubling reality: the government appears more aligned with the interests of wealthy corporations than with the needs of the workers and citizens it is meant to serve.

“We must ask: When will the government stand for the people it swore to protect? When will the National Assembly rise to its responsibility and hold the executive accountable for policies that blatantly undermine the welfare of the majority? When will the common man heave a sigh of relief in Nigeria?

“NLC is not opposed to a tariff review but disagrees with the approved rate of increase. We, therefore, call on the government, the NCC, and the National Assembly to stop the implementation of this ill-advised hike and allow a reasonable conversation about it.

“If the dialogue agrees on the need for the hike, then we can all seek a more humane increase and not this 50% hike,” he added.


The Labour leader warned that the possibility of a nationwide boycott of telecommunication services is on the table to compel the reversal of the decision, which he described as a “punitive increase”.

“The NLC calls on all Nigerian workers and masses to reject this unjustifiable tariff hike. We urge citizens to prepare for collective action, including the possibility of a nationwide boycott of telecommunications services, to compel the reversal of this punitive increase.

“This is for our dignity, our rights, and our survival as a people. The Nigeria Labour Congress remains resolute in defending the interests of Nigerian workers and the masses.

“We will not allow the people to bear the brunt of policies that further entrench poverty and inequality. Together, we will do our best to resist this injustice and demand that government prioritises the interests of its citizens over corporate interests,” the unionist concluded.

Continue Reading

Trending