BY Samuel Akpan
The presidency says the “right thing will be done” on the electoral act amendment bill within the legal timeframe.
There are concerns that President Muhammadu Buhari will miss the deadline for signing the electoral bill into law.
TheCable had reported how the president earlier declined assent to the bill, citing concerns over the recommendation of direct primaries for political parties.
The president had said compulsory direct primary for political parties “violates the spirit of democracy”.
The clause was later removed by the senate and house of representatives and the lawmakers introduced a clause allowing political parties to elect their candidates using direct, indirect or consensus methods.
The revised bill was subsequently transmitted to the president on January 31.
However, on Monday, in what they called a “national day of protest,” several civil society organisations (CSOs) took to the streets to demand that Buhari sign the electoral bill into law.
Reacting to the development in a statement issued on Monday, Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, said Buhari has till March 1 to make a decision on the bill.
“Some interest groups are cashing in on what they consider a delay in the signing of the Electoral Bill into law by the President to foment civil disorder and muddy the waters,” the statement reads.
“One can just pity their ignorance of Constitutional requirements, as the President has a window of 30 days within which to sign the Bill, or decline assent, after it had been transmitted to him by the National Assembly.
“It is on record that the amended Bill was sent to the Presidency on January 31, 2022, which means that the Executive could do due diligence on it till March 1, as prescribed by the Constitution.
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