Buhari won’t sign electoral bill if I’m not satisfied with it – Malami
Abubakar Malami, Nigeria’s Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, has stated reason President President Muhammadu Buhari might not sign the amended electoral bill.
Malami says he has to be satisfied with the wording to ensure it promotes public interest.
“Certainly, if I am not satisfied and if I am of the opinion that it is against the public interest, the national interest; and then against the dictates of democratic process, I would advise accordingly,” said Malami.
The minister stated this during a television programme, Politics Today.
President Buhari had previously withheld assent to the proposed amendments, which listed direct primaries as the only mode of primaries for political parties.
“Arising from the review, you may wish to note that the conduct of elections for the nomination of party candidates solely via direct primaries as envisaged by the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 has serious adverse legal, financial, economic and security consequences,” the president had said at the time.
Based on his rejection, the National Assembly withdrew the bill to expunge the contentious inclusion.
