Politics

Mandatory Direct Primaries Will Cause Confusion, AGF Opines

Published

3 years ago

Dec 17, 2021.

Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) highlighted the problems with the inclusion of mandatory direct primaries in the Electoral Act amendment bill.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that AGF, Abubakar Malami (SAN), through a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari stated the challenges with the inclusion of mandatory direct primaries in the Electoral Act amendment bill.

The AGF’s letter on the amended Electoral Act bill was received by the President two weeks ago.

Malami informed the President that making direct primaries mandatory for all political parties could cause confusion.

An impeccable source in the ministry, in an interview with PUNCH, said, “The AGF has sent his advice on the Electoral Act amendment bill to the President. He has highlighted the problems of the bill.

“The AGF, however, did not quote any section of the law that makes it illegal which is unlike the previous letters he writes to the President.”

The Spokesman for the AGF, Dr Umar Gwandu, when contacted, told The PUNCH that he was not in a position to confirm the development.

“The Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is attending the 2021 United Nations Conference of State Parties on Anti-Corruption currently holding in Egypt.

“I am not in a position to confirm whether any opinion has been proffered by the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice over the Electoral Act amendment bill. I cannot ascertain the veracity of your claims at this moment.”

The Special Adviser to the President, Femi Adesina, had confirmed last week that the President was seeking the advice of the AGF on the electoral bill.

Adesina said there are certain decisions the President will not make without the input of the AGF.

Responding to a question, he said, “There are certain things that never get done without the counsel of the attorney-general. You can be sure of that. And this falls right within the purview of the attorney-general. So you can be sure that every bit of the way, the attorney-general will be carried along.”

Buhari, who received the bill on November 19, has until December 19 to sign it or communicate to the National Assembly his feelings and comments about the bill.

But if after 30 days, the President refuses to sign the bill and the National Assembly is not in support of the President’s amendments, 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.

The President had a few weeks ago written a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission seeking the view of INEC over the matter.

Several Civil Rights Organisations have been putting pressure on the President to sign the bill mainly because it empowers INEC to transmit election results electronically.

Also, some have argued that mandatory primaries would create a level playing field for all including women and youths.

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