Electoral Bill: Aspirants, lawmakers fume over Buhari’s stance

From Fred Itua, Abuja

Lawmakers elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are angry, following President Muhammadu Buhari’s purported refusal to sign the fresh Electoral Amendment Bill.

This is even as some aspirants, especially members of the ruling APC, are unhappy over his stance on the hurriedly-packaged bill by the National Assembly about a fortnight ago.

Sources told Daily Sun that the president’s refusal may be a payback to the lawmakers, who in March, refused to consider and pass an amendment on the same Act sent to them.

The source revealed that the president is worried that if the Bill is signed into law, it may further polarise the already tensed political climate, especially the recognition of statutory delegates.

“If the president signs the Bill into law and give legal backing to the recognition of statutory delegates, amidst the ongoing conduct of primaries by political parties, it may jeopardise the conduct of the general elections next year,” the source said.

The source said the president wants to reduce the chances of delegates being compromised by aspirants, especially during the forthcoming exercises by the APC and PDP slated for next week.

“With the number of statutory delegates, it will go to about 10,000 to 12,000. If the law is left as it is, only about or at best, 2,200 delegates will elect the presidential candidates of the two political parties. The President believes that will reduce any planned financial inducement of these delegates. As far as the President is concerned, that’s very wasteful.

“For the PDP, there are only 810 delegates, but with statutory delegates, the number would shoot up to 3,900. Imagine how the inducement will increase. The president doesn’t want that under his watch.”

He said signing the Bill will confer undue advantage on a leading candidate from the South West, who is believed to control over 60 per cent of the statutory delegates who will have automatic voting rights to elect the next candidate.

“Many party chieftains know this. Buhari is also extracting a pound of flesh from National Assembly members. They quickly added statutory but ignored their agreement to delete a part of Section 84. Buhari wants to leave legacy of probity. He’s also worried about the huge cost and management of delegates. Statutory delegates would increase the number of delegates in APC from about 2, 200 to about 12,000. It is expensive for aspirants, even in terms of money for bribes. It will fuel corruption. Some parties have already started their primaries,  so if signed now, will they start all over again? INEC guidelines say parties must submit delegates list seven days to the convention. What happens to parties that have started their primaries? These are the issues that informed the president’s decision.”