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By Chukwudi Nweje
The Prof Pat Utomi-led National Consultative Front, NCFront, yesterday enlisted the support of the United States to pressure President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law.
The group is asking the visiting United States (US), Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken to impress on President Buhari the need to assent to the New Electoral Act.
In a statement signed by its Head, Public Affairs Bureau, Dr Tanko Yunusa, the group noted that assent to the new Electoral Act Amendment Bill is at the core of “growing and building Nigeria’s democracy.”
He said, “As you may already know, the United States Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken will be visiting our country Nigeria from today. As leaders of conscience and stakeholders in the progress of our country, we welcome him to the country as a partner in the fight for a strong democracy in Nigeria and on the African Continent. It is in light of this that we have chosen to call his attention to the most critical subject matter in growing and building Nigeria’s democracy, which is about the Bill to amend the Electoral Act (2010) after so much conversation and pressure was finally harmonised and passed by both chambers of the National Assembly and sent to the President for assent.”
The Bill to amend the Electoral Act (2010), was recently harmonised and passed by both chambers of the National Assembly. The Bill among other things permits the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit election results electronically. Also part of the Bill is the provision for political parties to choose their candidates for elective offices through direct primaries.
NCFront, however, said it fears that state governors who are particularly opposed to direct primaries in choosing party candidates may try to block the signing of the amended bill into law.
It urged the visiting US Secretary of State to leverage on the relationship between the US and Nigeria to convince President Buhari to assent to the bill as passed by the National assembly
He further said, “As the Bill now awaits presidential assent, there are doubt and scepticism as to whether the Bill will scale through the final stage because of the position of the governors on the nomination process of the political parties candidates. It is upon this reality that we appeal to the US Secretary of State to leverage on the existing cordial relationship between the United State of America and Nigeria as well as the US support for strengthening democracy worldwide to nudge President Buhari to assent to the electoral amendment Bill as passed by the National Assembly irrespective of the dust being raised by the Governors.”
The group said it believes that assent to the bill will positively impact democracy and governance in Nigeria as well as turn around to the electoral and political space.
“This we are advocating, realising that the US has over the years shown considerable interest in the overall development of democracy and governance in Nigeria and this ought not to be an exception as the eventuality of the assent to this Bill will be of great impact and turn around to the electoral and political space in Nigeria and restore the lost confidence of the Nigerian electorates and people and even the International Community in the Nigerian electoral system”, it said.
