By Ignatius Okorocha
Amidst report that some governors have begun underground work to persuade President Muhammadu Buhari to refuse assent to the reworked Electoral Bill which was transmitted to him by the National assembly last Monday, the National Assembly Caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), on Tuesday challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to without any delay , sign the re – amended 2010 Electoral Act ( Amendment ) Bill 2022 into law.
The Caucus also wondered why the All Progressives Congress (APC) should be setting up 133- member campaign committee inclusive of 16 serving governors for the forthcoming Area Councils Election in FCT.
This is as the caucus has called on Buhari to expeditiously give his Presidential Assent on the Electoral Bill during its meeting with members of Board of Trustees ( BOT) of the party at the Senate wing of the National Assembly after plenary yesterday.
First to make the call in his opening remarks , was the Senate Minority Leader , Enyinnaya Abaribe who said having bent backwards as requested by President Muhammadu Buhari on the earlier rejected electoral bill, the bill should be signed without any delay .
“The President in rejecting the earlier one transmitted to him in November last year , said indirect and consensus mode of primary elections were added to the new one as requested by President Buhari .
“Now that we have bent backwards , no any excuse or reason should be given again . Provisions of the bill are very critical for expected credibility of the 2023 general elections ” , he said .
Hitting harder on the President on the need to quickly sign the bill, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives , Hon Ndudi Elumelu alleged that Governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress , are lobbying the President not to sign the bill .
This he said , will be resisted by the PDP and forward looking Nigerians generally because of other very important provisions in the bill like section 52 which deals with electronic transmission of election results .
” The plan of using mandatory direct primaries to scuttle the bill has failed because the National Assembly has widened the scope as requested for by the President.
” No any other unresolved issues or observations is left in the bill transmitted to the President on Monday this week .
“No more excuses , no more delay , it should be signed in the interest of credibility and sanctity of electoral process in the country”.
He went further to lampoon the ruling party for constituting 133 – member campaign council for the forthcoming Area Councils Election in FCT.
According to him , “rather than APC focusing on how to hold its severally postponed National Convention , is carrying hammer to kill ant by enlisting 16 serving governors , 12 serving Ministers and countless numbers of other public office holders at the federal level to militarize Area Council Election in FCT.”
The Clerk to the National Assembly Mr. Olatunde Amos Ojo had on Monday , transmitted the authenticated copies of the Electoral Bill 2022 to President Muhammadu Buhari .
This was done in accordance with the provisions of Section 58 (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Acts Authentication Act Cap. A2 LFN 2004.
Recall that President had withheld assent to the Electoral Bill 2021 transmitted to him on 19th November 2021. The Electoral Bill was thereafter reworked by the National Assembly and both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed same on 25th January 2022.
