By our reporter/ President Muhammadu Buhari has in a letter to the national assembly explained why he is unable to assent to the electoral amendment bill.
The President’s letter was read on the floor of the senate on Tuesday by Ahmad Lawan, the senate president.
The letter was also read on the floor of the house of representatives by the speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The national assembly had in November sent the bill to the president for his assent with compulsory direct primaries for political parties and electronic transmission of election results among the amendments proposed by the lawmakers.
But the the president, in rejecting the bill, said the amendment may open up the electoral system to a plethora of litigations based on diverse grounds and issues of law, as adoption of direct primary will violate the spirit of democracy.
“The amendment as proposed is the violation of the underlying spirit of democracy, which is characterised by freedom of choices of which political party membership is a voluntary exercise of the constitutional right of freedom of association,” Buhari said.
“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.”
According to Buhari, the decision to decline assent to the bill was informed by counsel from the relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDA).
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