From Fred Itua, Abuja
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Tuesday, acknowledged the receipt of a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari, rejecting the Electoral Amendment Bill, 2021.
Lawan’s acknowledgement of the letter has finally confirmed an exclusive story published by Daily Sun on the 9th of December, 2021, wherein it reported that the Bill had been vetoed.
Buhari, as already reported, cited many reasons for declining his assent. He specifically referred to the expulsion of indirect primaries from the existing Act, insisting that many small political parties that are not financially buoyant, will be left in the cold.
He further cited lack of funds on the part of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to monitor direct primaries across the country in 2023 and going forward.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, is the arrowhead behind the removal of indirect primaries and imposition of direct primaries.
Gbajabiamila had claimed in November that Buhari was in support of direct primaries. He had also claimed that they had his blessing to settle for direct primaries only.
Details later…