President Muhammadu Buhari has requested the comments of the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmoud Yakubu, over the Electoral Act amendment bill which was passed by the National Assembly on November 9, 2021.
Buhari, who received the bill on November 19, has until December 19 to either sign it or pass comments on the bill to the National Assembly.
If after 30 days, the President fails to respond, the Senate and the House of Representatives can recall the bill and pass it. If the bill is passed in the form it was sent to the President by two-thirds majority votes in both chambers, the bill automatically becomes a law even without the signature of the President.
However, top sources from INEC disclosed that so far, the President saw no problem with the bill but was seeking advice from INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
The source said, “We received a letter from the President last week regarding INEC’s position on the Electoral Act amendment, especially as regards the controversial direct primaries which many governors have kicked against. We are supposed to respond within seven days. I know that a response will be sent to the President anytime from now.”
When asked if INEC would endorse the direct primaries, the source said the commission would only indicate its position on the merits and demerits of the bill and let the President decide.
Another INEC official revealed that the National Assembly never discussed the issue of direct primaries with the commission but the only electronic transmission of results and other issues.
“During the amendment of the Electoral Act, we met with the National Assembly but the issue of the direct primary was never discussed. We discussed the electronic transmission of results, electronic voting, Diaspora voting, and other issues. It was at the point of the adoption of the report that the direct primary was added to the bill.
“So, INEC was never given a chance to present its position. What the President has done now is to get our position on the matter. The truth is that if INEC cannot undertake the direct primaries, it will make the law useless,” he said.
