From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Amidst controversy over the inclusion of direct primaries in the proposed electoral law, the House of Representatives, yesterday, invited the chairman of the of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, to appear before it over the issue.
Yakubu is expected to brief the House Committees on Electoral Matters and Appropriations on the cost implication of supervising direct primaries of the various political parties in the country.
This is sequel to the adoption of a motion by Leke Abejide on need to invite the INEC boss to brief lawmakers on “the actual cost of direct primary for possible consideration in the 2022 budget.”
The National Assembly recently transmitted the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which provides, amongst others, for the use of direct primaries for the nomination of candidates of political parties, to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent.
The passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill had generated mixed reactions in the polity, with state governors kicking against the inclusion of direct primaries in the proposed legislation.
President Buhari, earlier in the week, wrote to INEC seeking for its opinion on the bill, especially as it concerns the use clause on use of direct primaries for nominations of candidates of political parties.
However, Abajide, while leading debate on the motion, said its imperative for the INEC chairman to address lawmakers on the cost implications of direct primaries, so as to lay all speculations to rest.
He noted despite the perceived high cost of direct primary, it is important for the improvement of the country’s electoral process.
According to him, “the bill is very critical to the sustainability of our democracy as the aspect of direct primaries will open up the political space for the youth and largely the members of all political parties to participate in all electoral processes starting from the primaries of the general election.”
Abejide further stated that the benefit of the bill outweighs the cost implication of conducting direct primary.
“According to him, “we are all aware of the importance of direct primary and how it will transfer power to the real people, where they will be able to select or elect the people that will represent them from the presidency down to the councillorship.
“And there have been a lot of noise about the cost implications. People have been saying that it will gulp N500billion but this is just a hearsay. Nobody has ever sat down to check the actual cost that it is going to cost the nation. It may be something that is within the capacity of the budget of INEC or something that we can even appropriate for in this period that we are still considering this budget
“It is pertinent to give opportunity INEC chairman to interface with both committees of INEC and appropriation in order for the nation to know what it will cost the country through INEC in order to put to rest the insinuations of different figures flying around that is so humongous to undertake direct primaries which may not be correct after all.
“So, it is important for us to invite the Chairman of INEC to meet with the Committees on INEC in this hallowed chamber, and that on Appropriations, for him to be able to tell them what is going to cost to do this direct primary.”