The National Chairman of Action Democratic Party (ADP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to rebuff pressures from certain chieftains of his governing All Progressives Congress (APC) not to sign the 2010 Electoral Act Amendment Bill as passed by both chambers of the National Assembly.
Checks revealed that the adoption of Direct Primary by the National Assembly as the only option for the emergence of candidates in the next general elections has since polarised the APC into camps.
Further investigation revealed that the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has continued to reject the resolution which limits the choice available to political parties to produce their candidates.
But addressing newsmen, on Monday, at the ADP national secretariat in Abuja, its national chairman, Yusuf Yabagi Sani, cautioned President Buhari not to falter under pressure as he revealed that the “forthcoming congresses of the party will be held using direct primaries to teach the so-called big parties a lesson.”
Engineer Sani maintained that giving his presidential assent to the Bill as passed by the National Assembly would endear President Buhari to Nigerians as a sincere Democrat.
According to the ADP Chairman, at the end of the committee’s assignment which is expected to usher in a vibrant new national executive member and leaders at the state and local government levels, the ADP would have made another powerful statement projecting it as a truly democratic party that upholds and sticks to the tenets of democracy
He said:” The inauguration of the national convention planning committee of our great party marks another milestone in the history of the party. It is a milestone because it is the last of the non-elective convention as well as the convention that will put in place leaders that will conduct affairs of our political party on the eve and into the crucial 2023 general elections.
“Consequently and in cognizance of the immense responsibilities the committee is expected to accomplish, the national leadership of the party has painstakingly ensured that members consist of people of integrity, demonstrated commitment and loyalty to the party. I am therefore very confidence that we will be getting the desired goals at the end of the day.
“The task before include supervising the conduct of congresses of non-elective congresses from the polling unit through wards local government area, senatorial district, state and zonal, non – elective. Culminating in the national convention.
“The committee will work within the frame of the guidelines prepared to ensure compliance with ADP constitutions, the electoral act 2010 as amended and the INEC regulations and guidelines for the conduct of political party congresses and national convention.
“For instance, while the other parties especially, the so-called big parties, are afraid and have been protesting the inclusion of electronic transmission of election results and the mandatory direct primary elections by the political parties in the internal mechanism of selecting their flag bearers, the ADP, on the other hand, has been celebrating what to us are progressive and revolutionary innovations in the nation’s electoral process.
“Unless for people who are finding it difficult to discard the old systems that confer on them the latitudes to manipulate elections through rigging and denying the electorates their fundamental rights of choosing those that emerge as their political leaders, the Direct Primary Elections and the Electronic Transmission of election results should be regarded as an effective panacea to the myriad of crises that have plagued and retarded the conduct of free and fair elections in Nigeria.
“Therefore, the ADP is hereby reiterating its repeated and vociferous demand that the reforms encapsulated in the amendment Bill by the National Assembly and now before the President for assent must be made to see the light of day.
“On the above note, the ADP is calling on President Mohammed Buhari to strive to imprint his name in goal in the annals of Nigerian political and democracy progression. Mr President must defy and resist the machinations, manipulation and obfuscation of the hawks who masquerading as its aides are, in actuality, his enemies who do not sincerely wish him well.”
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