Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike says the National Assembly lacks the temerity to veto President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to sign the Electoral Act amendment bill because it is part of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scheme to deny Nigerians free, fair and transparent election in 2023.
He said the only way for Nigerians not to repeat the 2015 and 2019 mistakes of voting the APC led Federal Government into power is to send them packing in 2023.
Governor Wike made the assertions at the flag-off of Chokocho-Igbodo Road that was performed by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Monday in Etche Local Government Area.
The Rivers State governor recalled how most people did not believe him when he raised the concerns that President Buhari will not sign the Electoral Act amendment bill into law to give legal impetus to electronic transmission of election results.
“Three weeks ago I told Nigerians that there is a conspiracy not to have a free, fair, transparent election in 2023 and that conspiracy was very clear. And I told Nigerians, Mr President will not sign the Electoral Act amendment bill.”
Governor Wike stated that having known the modus operandi, style and strategy of the APC, it was obvious to him and all discerning minds that the clause on direct primaries was inserted into the Electoral Act amendment bill as a ploy for the president to refuse assent to the bill.
According to him, the APC members are afraid that if results are transmitted electronically, they will not survive the 2023 general elections.
“What APC resolved in the meeting they had was that their problem is not necessarily direct primaries, but the electronic transmission of result in 2023. If they allow that, obviously APC will lose the election in 2023 and they told themselves that the only way we can survive that is to include the direct primaries in the bill so that Mr President can use that as an excuse, that he will not sign the bill.”
He accused APC governors and their National Assembly members of deceiving Nigerians that they were engaged in battle of supremacy over the issue of direct primaries, whereas they had secretly agreed to scuttle the possibility of transmitting election result electronically in 2023.
Governor Wike said, unfortunately, the National Assembly do not have what it takes to veto the President’s refusal to assent to the bill. According to him, they lawmakers are not interested in protecting the interest of Nigerians and ensure that elections are free and fair with the electronic transmission of election results.
“Unfortunately, you don’t have a National Assembly that has what it takes, that will stand for the people, that will say look we were elected by the people and we want to give the people the best. Nobody in the National Assembly, not even the leadership can have what it takes to say Mr President for the interest of Nigerians we are going to veto this your refusal.”
The governor maintained that because APC did not consider the interest of Nigerians as priority, its leaders are immersed in crisis jostling for benefits that fan their personal egos.
Governor said, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) is different because it is waxing stronger as a true political party, and working everyday in improving the socioeconomic conditions of the people in PDP controlled states.
President Muhammadu Buhari had declined assent to the 2021 Electoral Act Amendment Bill, stating that signing it into law would cause trouble among the political parties in the country.
It was gathered that the letter of rejection of the bill, which is before the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, will be read today (Tuesday) at plenary.
The letter from Mr. President indicated that President Buhari refused to sign the bill, citing the direct primaries as approved by the National Assembly for picking candidates by political parties in the amended Electoral Act as dangerous to the polity.
According to a source, the President refused assent to it against the backdrop that the parties have their various constitutions that indicate that primaries should be conducted either directly or indirectly.
And until such provisions are amended, asking parties to do that through direct means would mean forcing the parties to conduct primaries through direct means which, according to President Buhari, amounts to abuse of the constitution of the party.
The source said: “With all these reasons given by the President, he has returned the bill to the National Assembly, asking the lawmakers to look at the clause that has to do with direct primaries by political parties, work on it and return the document for assent.
There are strong indications that the Senate will be turbulent as the Senators will take a decision on the growing uncertainty in the political atmosphere as the 30 days’ deadline for President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Electoral Act Bill elapsed on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Senator Matthew Urhoghide(PDP, Edo South) urged the National Assembly to extricate itself from what he described as public odium and disrespect by going ahead to override President Buhari who is All Progressives Congress, APC, just as he said that history stares NASS in the face if indeed it is not a rubber stamp.
Senator Urhoghide said: “We must be reminded that members of the National Assembly are truly the representatives of the people because every constituency and senatorial district seat is allocated to a segment of the Nigerian people who are their constituents.
“The members of the National Assembly consulted with a cross section of their constituents to reach an informed position on any matter of national interest and development.
“The issue of direct primaries in our electoral process has been well canvassed, elucidated, and argued by both chambers and inputs were taken at public hearing from across the spectrum of all critical stakeholders.
“The bane has always been that the greater majority of party members do not have the privilege or right to choose who becomes the party candidate in an election.
“Hitherto, it was the exclusive preserve of the power holders or deep pockets who would always want to control the party.
“The time has come when only popular candidates within the party should be thrown up for general elections.”
