Amid concerns from Nigerians over the continued delay by President Muhammadu Buhari to give assent to the Electoral Act amendment bill, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has called for calm, saying his principal is committed to improving Nigeria’s electoral process.
The vice president made this known while speaking at the 53rd Conference of the National Association of Law Teachers, which held at Bayero University, Kano.
Speaking on the theme, “Law, Democracy and the Electoral Process”, Osibanjo said Buhari will only assent to an Electoral Bill that reflects the interest of all Nigerians.
According to him, the Electoral Bill is an important part of the Nigeria’s democracy, hence Buhari will give his all to ensure that he leaves behind a legacy of inclusive democratic norms through the bill.
In his words, “The Bill itself has been the subject of robust engagement between the government and civil society. While some have expressed reservations about the time it is taking to enact the new law, we should remember that a truly inclusive democratic, deliberative process often takes time.
“I am confident that the legislation that emerges will be one that reflects a broad consensus between all the stakeholders.
“While INEC continues to improve its capacity to conduct credible elections, particularly through the deployment of technology; we recognize that democracy is about much more than voting. It is also about constitutionalism, rule of law, and respect for civil liberties. We must diligently work to uphold these principles.
“Our progress as a democracy must therefore also be prosecuted in terms of the struggle to reduce the basic problems of ill-health, malnutrition, illiteracy, and famine which daily afflict our people. Where social and economic rights are unsecured, people are unable to fully maximize their civil and political rights.”
Recall that Buhari had in December declined his assent to the Electoral bill over the inclusion of the clause 84 compelling parties to adopt Direct Primaries as a mode of electing their flagbearers.
The National Assembly in the bill transmitted to Buhari in November, 2021 had mandated direct primaries as mode of elections for political parties in the country.
However, the president in a letter addressed to the leaders of the both chambers, called for the bill to be reworked on the grounds that the direct primaries would lead to a significant spike in the cost of conducting primary elections by parties as well as increase the cost of monitoring such elections by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The bill had since been reworked by the National Assembly and sent back to Buhari for assent.
