AMID rising public suspense over the fate of the amended Electoral Bill passed by the National Assembly, especially due to the clause on mode of party primaries, KUNLE ODEREMI examines the issues, struggle by power blocs across party lines and fear over pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to veto the bill.
Months before the 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari succumbed to intense pressure from his close allies not to sign the Electoral Act 2018. In a letter dated March 3, conveying his decision to veto the bill, Buhari predicated it on his assumption that it could “create uncertainty and confusion about the applicable legislation to govern the process. “Any real or apparent change to the rules this close to the election may provide an opportunity for disruption and confusion in respect of which law governs the electoral process,” he wrote to the Senate.
Apparently, members of a cabal are poised to scuttle another round of amendments on the electoral bill this time about 15 months to the 2023 elections. And this has triggered yet another hoopla across the country over the pressure on the president to veto the recent passed electoral act 2021 amendments, especially on the provision for direct primary as the mode for parties to elect their candidates.
Different power blocs are engaged in discreet moves or subtle pressure directed at President Buhari aimed at ‘killing’ the provision. In 2019, the Director-General (DG) of the Progressives Governors Forum, Salihu Mohammed Lukman, supported the direct primary for selecting parties› candidates for elections. Lukman is a close aide to Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, said to currently averse to the direct primary mode today. Lukman back the mode in a book titled: Power of Possibility and Politics of Change in Nigeria.
He wrote: “The announcement that the party (APC) would resort to direct primary in the selection of candidates elicited excitement among APC members. Perhaps because of its potential to trigger some fundamental changes in the political landscape, ostensibly towards shifting the locus of power from gatekeepers to party membership, the widespread interests the decision for direct primary generated both within the party and in the general public were as contentious as they were predictable. «In simple terms, there were expectations of possible changes in the dynamics of leaders-members relationships within the political party’s governance framework.
“It is a governance framework that encourages the monetisation of candidates’ selection across all parties, which is much despised by party members and the public, but also painfully costly to aspirants and candidates. The rationale for direct primary based on expanding the democratic space for membership participation is hardly contestable all things considered.”
Two years after his public endorsement (and apparently that of Bagudu too) of the mode, following the adoption of the new amendment by the National Assembly, Lukman appears to have a re-think on the mode. He declared: “It is worrisome that the APC members in the National Assembly are the ones pushing for this amendment. Rather than leaders of the party negotiating among themselves on what needs to be done to produce internal agreement to resolve all challenges facing the party, increasingly, structures of the party are being abandoned and other structures outside the statutory organs of the party are being used to attempt to address perceived problems.
“The whole insertion of the provisions requiring political parties to adopt the direct method in the Electoral Act would appear to be an afterthought because the original bill that was subjected to the joint public hearing by both the Senate and House of Representatives did not contain it. It was during the clause-by-clause consideration of the bill after the public hearing in July 2021 that the Speaker of the House moved the motion for the amendment to allow direct primaries to be part of the amendment.”
These and many issues have culminated into many observers raising a few critical teasers, among which is: what has changed between 2019 and 2021 that has necessitated a 100 degrees turn by him and others on the mode? Whose interest they may be trying to protect? Who is afraid of direct primary mode?
Deepening democracy
It is recalled that recently, the Senate at plenary passed a bill providing amendments to the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended). The overall beauty in the bill was the inclusion of the much-desired e-transmission of election results and preference for direct primaries mode of congresses for political parties. The battle for more pragmatic reforms in the electoral process initiated in 2007 gave birth to the passage of the new bill by the ninth National Assembly. The harmonisation of the two items among 21 clauses was ratified by members of the Senate and House of Representatives at the Conference Committee. The action elicited fascinating interest and curious comments from political parties, civil society organisations, non-governmental bodies and individuals. There was a deafening applause from a preponderance of groups and individuals for the recommendation for e-transmission of election results, but the provision for direct primaries generated an admixture of feelings.
The main political parties were not comfortable with the provision and busy trying to pressure President Buhari to withhold his assent to the bill. The ruling APC through one of its strongest organ, the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) vehemently opposed the bill. Its chairman, who doubles as the governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, reminded the president of possible danger in large gatherings as required by the direct primaries mode. The PGF said: “There is an Executive Order signed by Mr President against large gatherings.” As an alternative, the body said ward congresses conducted through direct primaries should be enough foundation to conduct further elections through an indirect process or delegate system.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is also not favourably disposed to the mode of primaries on the ground that it was not proper for the ruling APC to lord the direct primaries option over other parties. Thus, the main opposition party demanded that parties be allowed to adopt any method that they deemed fit for their purpose of election. PDP spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan had said: “Our party holds that it›s the inalienable rights of each political party, within the context of our constitutional democracy to decide its form of internal democratic practices including the processes of nominating its candidates for elections at any level. The PDP also believes that no political party should force its own processes on any other political party.”
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) also rejected passage of the direct primary mode of election by the National Assembly and therefore asked Buhari not to assent. According to the party, direct primaries may have some laudable features but should not be forced on every political party to be used in every case and at all times. The national chairman of SDP, Dr Olu Agunloye, in a statement said: «We enjoin President Muhammadu Buhari not to assent to the Bill which is generally considered by the people as an outright misplaced priority by the National Assembly.» Governors, irrespective of political affiliation, constitute the major opposition to direct primaries. They picked holes in the amendment and considered the lawmakers as deliberately passing the law to spite their hold on their party machinery in respective states. A national lawmaker said: “This amendment, if signed by the president, will also stop the governors from removing federal lawmakers at will. They (governors) just sit in their offices and decide who will return and who will not return. They have been doing this for 20 years.”
However, the conspiracy by a few against the mode of primary election has not deterred a majority of Nigerians not only lauded the National Assembly for the initiative in reforming the nation›s electoral system but urged Buhari not to hesitate in assenting the bill.
Director-General, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Chief Osita Okechukwu, is a stalwart of APC from Enugu State. He wants the president to assent to the e-transmission and direct primary. His words: «I›m sincerely afraid that the controversy, hyperbole and cacophony of voices over direct primary may wittingly or unwittingly scuttle the entire Electoral Bill, and thus throw away the baby – BIVAS and the bath water, Direct Primary. Mr President, please avoid this booby trap against electronic transmission.”
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) categorically said there should be no justification for the president to veto the bill. According to the spokesperson of NEF, Dr Hakeem Baba – Ahmed: «the President should respect the democratic process as well as his recurring comments that he intends to leave a better electoral process in 2023. «There is no reason why President Buhari should not assent to these amendments.»
An Associate Professor of Political Science, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye in Ogun State, Dr. Goke Lalude, added that Buhari has a rare opportunity to reinvent and ingrain his name in the subconscious of Nigerians by giving assent to the bill. “it is now time for President Buhari to demonstrate his status of statesmanship . He must demonstrate political will and not mind whose ox will be gored among his party cohorts. The President is no more coming to beg for votes from Nigerians. He can do and undo and it is high time to do that which millions of our people expect of him. He should sign the amendment to our electoral law and swell our democracy.»
Director-General, Ekiti State Culture and Tourism Board, Ambassador Wale Ojo – Lanre said he would advise the President to assent the Bill to enrich his credentials in governance. Ojo – Lanre said: «the President has blazed many trails in governance in this country. Should he sign this bill, he will be adding another feather to his political cap. He has the opportunity to write his name in gold because of the importance of this particular bill to democracy and governance.»
A rights advocate, Ms. Justina Achegbo, noted that the amendment constituted a right in itself to voters’ fundamental human right of having their votes count. Therefore, he said the president had the duty to protect their rights by signing the bill. He added: “President Buhari should show high sense of responsibility by signing the bill. Not only to sign the bill, should the president do so in good time. This is to forestall unnecessary apprehension because delay in doing so may raise tension and create agitation among Nigerians.» A youth leader of the Labour Party (LP), John Izuchukwu Nnamdi said signing the bill would be the best thing that will happen to Nigerian democracy. Nnamdi whose party participated in the recent Anambra State governorship election said adoption of direct primaries will curb impunity in the electoral process.
He opined: «the direct primaries model will force politicians to go back to the grassroots. They will no more distance themselves from the electorate. «It is now that relevance in politics will count as against vote-buying and imposition of candidates by the powers-that-be during primaries using the indirect method.
As Nigerians eagerly await the decision of the president on the amended bill, the teasers in many political circles is: will history repeat itself in view of the 2018 experience?
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