Statutory Delegates: Buhari’s Third Term Agenda Behind Refusal to Sign Amended Electoral Act – PDP
POLITICS DIGEST The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said “desperate” All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders who want President Muhammadu Buhari to perpetuate himself in office are behind his refusal to sign the amended Electoral Act 2022.
A bill seeking to enable statutory delegates to vote at the conventions and congresses of political parties, which was recently passed by the National Assembly, is awaiting Buhari’s assent.
The passage of the bill followed an “error” discovered in the recently signed electoral act on the status of statutory delegates in party conventions and congresses.
According to Section 84 (4&8) of the amended electoral act, only adhoc delegates that are elected at ward and local government levels are eligible to vote at all the primary elections of all the political parties.
This means that automatic or statutory delegates like the President, governors, lawmakers, political appointees, office holders and former office holders at party levels have no votes at the upcoming primary elections of the parties.
On noticing this “error,” the National Assembly quickly yanked off those provisions and sent a new amendment to the President which he is yet to sign into law.
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In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by Debo Ologunagba, its publicity secretary, the PDP said the delay in approving the bill is aimed at frustrating the smooth conduct of primaries by political parties.
“There are revelations that desperate APC leaders are behind the delay by President Muhammadu Buhari in signing the amendment to the Electoral Act 2022 so as to frustrate the smooth conduct of primaries by political parties and derail the entire electoral process.
“It is not surprising to the PDP that Mr. President was again “absent” having travelled to the United Arab Emirate and abandoned his constitutional duty of signing the crucial amendment to the Electoral Act.
“This attitude of Mr. President to an issue that is critical to our electoral system is consistent with APC’s plot to cause confusion in the polity, orchestrate an unconducive environment for elections, stall the 2023 general elections and achieve a rumoured third term agenda.
“The regularity of the electoral process as well as the confidence of the people in the certainty of timelines and outcomes of elections are the hallmarks of democracy, which the APC has been dislocating apparently with the view to undermining the electoral process,” the statement read in part.
However, even if the President signs the amended act on Monday, it may be too late for the parties to return to status quo because INEC guidelines say all parties must send their full delegates’ list to the commission a week before the primaries which commence on Thursday.
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