PDP knocks Buhari over Electoral Act Bill

A major opposition political party in Nigeria, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has come down hard on President Muhammadu Buhari, over his continued refusal to assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Debo Ologunagba, laid the charge in Abuja, on Tuesday while briefing journalists on behalf of the party.

He wondered why President Buhari, who is the biggest beneficiary of credible, free and fair elections conducted by the PDP in 2015 is now in the vanguard to frustrate genuine effort for credible elections in 2023, not minding the huge negative consequences such portends for our dear nation, against the will of Nigerians.

According to the spokesperson; “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is addressing this World Press Conference today to alert all Nigerians and the International Community of a dangerous design by the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to trigger a serious political crisis that has the capacity to derail our electoral system, truncate our democracy, subvert our corporate existence and turn our nation into another ‘axis of concern’ to the world.

“As you are aware, President Buhari continues against the Will of Nigerians to withhold assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill re-transmitted to him since Monday, January 31, 2022 (clear 22 days ago) by the National Assembly. This was after the Legislature had acceded to and incorporated all his requests in the newly transmitted version of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

“The refusal to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill is nothing short of a premeditated and contrived “political abortion” of the Will of the people as represented by the elected 109 Senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives who unanimously passed the Amendment Bill in the first instance.

“The current stance of Mr President further validates our Party’s position that the Buhari-led APC government is averse to free, fair, transparent and credible elections in our country, particularly the 2023 general elections.” He stated.

The PDP also draw the attention of Nigerians and the international community to Thursday, February 17, 2022, when President Buhari addressed the EU-AU Summit in Brussel, Belgium, whereupon he called on the European Union (EU) to impose weighty sanctions on those engaged in “unconstitutional change of governments” as well as those influencing the “process and outcomes of elections”.

The party quoted President Buhari’s words, “We also call for stronger support from the European Union in the condemnation and imposition of weighty sanctions on countries that engage in unconstitutional change of governments as well as manipulation of constitutions in favour of extension of term limits…

“It is therefore imperative for our partnership to also focus on strengthening election processes in Africa and prevent interference to influence the process and outcomes of elections…”

The party urged the President and the ruling All Progressives Congress to practice what the preaches, as it further said; Mr President’s refusal to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill constitutes an obstruction to the democratic principle of credible elections. Any electoral process which does not guarantee the free, fair and transparent transmission of election results from the polling units can only result in a government that lacks credibility and legitimacy which amounts to an “unconstitutional change of government” against the Will of the people.

“As you know, President Buhari premised his withholding of assent to the previous version of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill on Section 84 of that Amendment Bill which provided that party candidates for elections can only emerge through direct primaries.

“In trying to justify his decision, Mr President stated among other reasons in his letter dated December 13, 2021, to the National Assembly that “the amendment as proposed is a violation of the underlying spirit of democracy which is characterised by freedom of choices. Political party membership is a voluntary exercise of the constitutional right to freedom of association”.

According to Mr President, “Several millions of Nigerians are not card-carrying members of any political party. Thus, the emphasis should be on enabling qualified Nigerians to vote for the candidate of their choice during general elections as a means of participation in governance and furtherance of the concept of universal adult suffrage or universal franchise…”

The party wondered why President and the APC mean and believe in the statement above, then there can be no justification for the continuing delay in assenting to the re-worked Electoral Act Amendment Bill which has adequately taken care of Mr President, and accused President Buhari and the APC are erecting roadblocks to the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill due mainly to the provision for electronic transmission of election results from the polling units which will eliminate APC’s plans to manipulate the system, militarize the process, alter election results at collation centres and foist itself again into power against the Will of Nigerians.

PDP further accused The President and the ruling APC saying; “situation is being worsened by the arrogant utterances of some officials of the Buhari-led APC administration particularly the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, who is now subjecting the decision of the generality of Nigerians through the National Assembly to personal parochial and partisan whims.

Stating that “Our Party also has information about how some selfish unelected cabinet ministers, advisers and other top government functionaries with ambitions for presidential, governorship and other elective positions are mounting pressure on President Buhari not to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill to enable them to remain longer in office so as to continue to use public funds to corruptly pursue their personal political interests.

“It is appalling that President Buhari who claims to be fighting corruption is condoning and encouraging this inordinate access to public funds in pursuit of private ambitions. The only way Mr President can extricate himself is to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill immediately.”

The PDP strongly advise President Buhari and APC leaders to stop toying with the aspiration of Nigerians to entrench democracy in our country through the process of free, fair, transparent and credible elections in 2023.

The party called on Nigerians, organizations and foreign countries to be alert, when it stated that; “Given the precarious political situation in the country today, the PDP calls on all Nigerians, the Organized Labour, Civil Society, Student Bodies, Professional Bodies, Trade Unions and all lovers of democracy across the world to rise up and impress it upon President Buhari to immediately sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill so as to assure Nigerians and avert an impending crisis in our country.

“We call on the International Community and friends of Nigeria including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Russia, France among others; the European Union (EU), African Union (AU), Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations (UN) to immediately bear diplomatic and political pressure on President Buhari, APC leaders and senior government officials who are intent on derailing our democracy.”

The party charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stand on the side of democracy, resist the APC and get prepared to use technology that abounds to ensure the direct transmission of election results from the polling units in the 2023 elections.

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