Politics

Electoral Amendment: President Buhari neither rejected, nor returned Bill to NASS – Reps Spokesman

Buhari

*as INEC denies involvement with direct primaries, says it’s parties responsibility

Tom Okpe, Abuja

The House of Representatives has debunked contrary media reports and insinuations from some quarters that President Muhammadu Buhari has rejected and returned the Electoral Act Amendment Bill to National Assembly for reconsideration.

Daily Sun reported on Thursday that a certain Senator confided in it that Buhari had returned the Bill to the Senate and the House of Representatives in a letter addressed to the two principal officers of the Parliament.

According to the report, Mr President cited high cost of conducting Direct Primaries as provided, in the proposed legislation by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which hovers around N500 billion as the reason for the return.

Refuting this report on Thursday at the green Chambers’ in a press briefing, the House of Representatives Spokesperson, Benjamin Kalu said there was no such communication from the President to the Parliament but a figment of the imagination of lobbyists who want certain contents of the Bill to be altered.

“I want to tell this you that if Mr. President sends a communication to the House of Representatives, the Spokesperson of the House should be one of the first to know and I can tell you, with every amount of audacity that there is no communication from President Buhari, to that effect.

“The point must be made, in lobbying, so many tools are employed. Remember, not too long, it was in the public parlance that the cause of running Direct Primary was so much. We agree, democracy is expensive. But the question you should ask yourself is why was that thrown up beyond other issues.

“So, any insinuation you hear, is the figment of the imagination of those who are trying to increase their lobbying skills to weaken the hearts of so many people that believe in this advocacy to begin to look the other way, thinking Mr President has turned the other way,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) said it did not come up with any cost for the conduct of primaries per political parties by direct method as been speculated in the public domain.

INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu stated this after a closed-door meeting with House Committee on Appropriations and Electoral Matters at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

The House had last Thursday invited the INEC Chairman to appear at its Committees on Electoral Matters and Appropriation and brief lawmakers on the cost implication of conducting direct primaries by political parties in the country, estimated at N500 billion.

However, the INEC Chairman, Yakubu told journalists after the meeting that the engagement of the Commission in conduct of primaries, whether direct or indirect was made known to the Committees.

He however, refused to divulge the contents of the letter INEC sent to the President Buhari on its position and advice on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, feigning ignorance when asked about the reported rejection of the proposed legislation by the President.

“We have had very good discussions with the Committee on Appropriation of the National Assembly, pursuant to the resolution of the House and what we discussed you will not hear from me. May be, Chairman of the committee will tell you,” hesaid.

On his part, Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Mukhtar Batera revealed, INEC told lawmakers that political parties have the responsibility of conducting primaries and funding of the exercise for whatever method adopted be it direct, or otherwise.

“In our discussions with the INEC Chairman, we wanted to know his requirements for the 2023 elections as well as cost of direct or indirect Primaries.

“He specifically told us the role of INEC in direct or indirect primaries which he said is just minimal, emphasizing that the responsibility lies with all political parties.

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Ihesiulo Grace

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