Political parties edgy as Buhari delays assent to amended electoral act
Political parties are waiting on President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the amended Electoral Act 2022.
The president, on Thursday, travelled to the United Arab Emirates to commiserate with the country over the death of its former leader His Highness, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and to felicitate with his successor, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
President Buhari is expected back into the country on Saturday.
Meanwhile, back home, political parties require the president to assent to the new electoral law, based on the inclusion of Section 84 (4) of the Electoral Act.
The amendment is to allow statutory delegates vote at party conventions. The statutory delegates include President Buhari himself, vice president, governors, members of national assembly, national party executive committees, state party chairmen and secretaries, local government chairmen and councillors.
Based on the guidelines set by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), political parties are expected to submit their delegates list seven days before holding their primaries.
For the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which has shifted its convention to May 29, the president has till Sunday to sign the amended act. For its part, the major opposition–the Peoples Democratic Party–has till Saturday (today), due to its convention coming up on May 28.
The consequence of President Buhari delaying on assenting to the electoral law is not lost on the political parties.
Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, the minority leader of the House of Representatives, has expressed his concern.
“Our caucus calls on all Nigerians, the civil society, the international community and all lovers of democracy to prevail on President Buhari to immediately sign the amendment to the Electoral Act, 2022 and save our nation from an avoidable crisis,” Elumelu said in a statement.
