The Presidency has explained why President Muhammadu Buhari
has not made public his decision on the 2021 Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, said the president is not
legally bound to make his decision on the Act public.
The National Assembly had a month ago transmitted the Bill
to the president for assent.
But reports had it that the president has withheld assent to
the bill due to some reasons he gave in a letter to the Senate President, Ahmad
Lawn.
However, Shehu insisted that despite the provisions of the
constitution, it would be disrespectful to the National Assembly for Buhari to
make his decision public first.
Speaking with Channels Television, Shehu said: “I’m not in a
position to tell you, yes or no. But given the way things are done, the
president would have completed his consultations some time back. The president
would be communicating with the National Assembly on whatever he decides,
either yes or no.
“And as I said, it would be disrespectful of the National
Assembly, for me at this time, to say this is the content of the president’s
communication, assuming that the communication has been sent to them. So as I
said, allow them to resume. I believe that the president will not act in breach
of the Constitution. No, he will do what is right.
“The constitution says the president must sign within 30
days, the constitution did not say that there should be the disclosure of that
decision within 30 days to the public when the disclosure to the National
Assembly has been made.”
Buhari had explained that he would not assent the bill due
to the situation in the country.
The president’s position was contained in a letter he sent
to the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan.
Buhari also cited high cost of conducting direct primaries,
the security challenge of monitoring the election, violation of citizens’
rights and marginalization of small political parties, amongst other things as
reasons why he won’t assent the bill.
He noted that it would be better if political parties are
allowed to decide how to pick their candidates for elections.
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