Direct Primary: Lamido says NASS breached 1999 constitution, urges PDP to challenge Electoral Act (Amendment) bill

A former Jigawa State governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has accused members of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the National Assembly of breaching the 1999 constitution by the attempt to enforce direct primary mode of electing electoral candidates on political parties in the country.

The former governor made the disclosure in a statement he personally signed, issued and made available to Tribune Online in Dutse, the state capital.

Lanido said “the APC-dominated Nigerian Senate bill stipulating that political parties must conduct direct primaries to choose their candidates into elective offices is a clear indication that the ‘APC senate’ is turning itself into a sole administrator of political parties which is tantamount to political self-help.”

The former governor explained that “the Nigerian constitution guarantees the safeguard of our plural democracy. The same constitution inherently guarantees parties to regulate the conduct of their affairs and mandates the Independent Electoral Commission to oversee compliance to their (parties) constitution, a copy of which is deposited with the electoral body.

“Will the senate make the required budgetary provision to all political parties to meet up the expenditure of fulfilling this piece of law?

“While the APC Senate has all the powers in this world to make any laws, it behoves upon it to meet the responsibilities of making sure that its laws are obeyed to the fullest.”

He added the PDP should set up all the necessary machinery to challenge this piece of Electoral Act (Amendment) bill in court.

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