Abuja – President Muhammadu Buhari has said that registered political parties in the country should be allowed to decide the best way to pick their candidates for the 2023 elections
Buhari stated this in a letter forwarded to the Senate and the House of Representatives on reasons why he declined to assent to the 2022 ammended electoral bill.
He said the clause in the bill, compelling parties to adopt direct primary to choose their candidates for the 2023 elections will spell doom for the country economy and further aggravate the lingering security challenge.
Buhari explained that his decision to decline assent was based on a
was based on a careful review and wide consultations with critical stakeholders.
Buhari’s letter in which he declined assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill was read on the floors of the Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday, December 21.
Senators present at Tuesday plenary went into a closed-door session to discuss the content of the document before it was later read on the floor.
The President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan read the letter in which Buhari cited the direct primary clause as the main reason for his decision.
According to the President, the country cannot bear the cost of conducting of primaries of all 91 registered political primaries now in the face of its dwindling economic fortunes .
Buhari also argued that direct primary was capable of having destabilising effects on smaller parties.
The President was also if the opinion that direct primary can constitute threat to national security as it will witness large turn outs of party members across the country.
The move is also capable of triggering off a gale of litigations by party members.(vitalnews)
