Alao, C & S head, urges lawmakers to override Buhari on direct primaries

THE Supreme Head, Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria, His Most Eminence, Prophet Solomon Adegboyega Alao, has called on the National Assembly to stand on the side of the people and override President Muhammadu Buhari on the amended Electoral bill that was not assented to by the president.

The head of C & S worldwide in his New Year message noted that it is unfortunate that President Buhari is missing the opportunity to bestow a legacy that will reform Nigeria’s electoral process, deepen democracy and allow mass participation of party members to elect candidates for their party.

The cleric said President Buhari’s failure to approve the direct primary option is against his promise of fighting corruption because while crooked politicians can manipulate and bribe delegates at indirect primaries, it is impossible to bribe millions of party members that will participate in indirect primaries.

Prophet Alao posited that while all the parties can hold their primaries on the same day to prevent people who registered with different parties to vote in more than one congress, the argument by the Presidency that direct primaries would be too expensive is not tenable because political parties finance their congresses and internal elections.

He said, “How can the country say the cost of ensuring people’s participation in the electoral process would be too expensive. We all know that parties sponsor themselves and it is only INEC that government picks its bill.

“President Buhari must be wary of various advises he gets from people who are only interested in their selfish agenda”.

Prophet Alao said the current situation provides an opportunity for the leadership of the National Assembly to prove that they are not an appendage of the Presidency by vetoing the bill.

He urged Nigerians to keep on praying for their leaders to do what is right for the masses and pleaded with President Buhari to be more decisive in dealing with bandits and other terrorist groups threatening the peace and unity of the country.