By James Orji
President Muhammadu Buhari has received support from an unusual quarter, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state over his decision to reject the Electoral Bill forwarded to him on November 30 by the National Assembly.
On Monday, the president returned the bill to NASS citing different reasons, including security and the cost of conducting direct primaries by political parties to select candidates to represent them in election. The president has been virulently criticized by many Nigerians from CSO and members of his own party, the All Progressives Congress, APC over his decision not to assent to the bill. Only a few people have endorsed the president’s action.
Surprisingly, Governor Ortom who is regarded as an ardent critic of the president, and recently criticized Buhari during his 79th birthday celebration is one of the few that have shown support for the president over the matter. Curiously too, the Benue helmsman is the only Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP governor to have supported the president on the vexed issue.
Speaking on the issue in Makurdi, the state’s capital on Tuesday, the governor said the president took the right decision by rejecting the bill.
According to him “I want to use this opportunity again on behalf of people that are represented here in Benue State to commend Mr President for withholding assent on the process of primaries of various political parties,” he said at a briefing at the end of the meeting of the State Executive Council on Tuesday in Makurdi.
“I am appealing to the National Assembly to reconsider the clause that allows for only direct primaries, and all the reasons that Mr President advanced concerning the support for him withholding his assent are deeply appreciated.
“I assure you that as a veteran politician who had the privilege to witness direct primaries, witness indirect primaries, and witness consensus primaries, and someone who has the privilege to be a member of various political parties, it was almost unanimous that the issue of primaries should be the responsibility of various political parties,” Ortom said.
In a letter to the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila on Monday, President Buhari said the prevailing situation in the country would not allow him to sign the bill.
Among other reasons for rejecting the bill, the president cited high cost of conducting direct primaries, the security challenge of monitoring the election, violation of citizens’ rights and marginalization of small political parties.
Buhari said he had received informed advice from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Government, and had also carefully reviewed the Bill in light of the current realities prevalent in the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the circumstances.
“The amendment as proposed is a violation of the underlying spirit of democracy, which is characterised by freedom of choices of which political party membership is a voluntary exercise of the constitutional right of freedom of association,” Buhari said.
He added that the existing constitution of the parties already registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) permits direct, indirect and consensus primaries.
The president said his decision is based on informed advice by relevant ministries, departments and agencies of the government, noting that his decision is based on the prevailing security situations in the country.
