TheCable

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says “desperate” All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders are behind the delay by President Muhammadu Buhari in signing the amended Electoral Act 2022.

A bill seeking to enable statutory delegates to vote at the conventions and congresses of political parties, which was recently passed by the national assembly, is awaiting Buhari’s assent.

The passage of the bill followed an “error” discovered in the recently-approved electoral act on the status of statutory delegates in party conventions and congresses.

In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by Debo Ologunagba, its publicity secretary, the PDP said the delay in approving the bill is aimed at frustrating the smooth conduct of primaries by political parties.

“There are revelations that desperate APC leaders are behind the delay by President Muhammadu Buhari in signing the amendment to the Electoral Act 2022 so as to frustrate the smooth conduct of primaries by political parties and derail the entire electoral process,” the statement reads.

“It is not surprising to the PDP that Mr. President was again “absent” having travelled to the United Arab Emirate and abandoned his constitutional duty of signing the crucial amendment to the Electoral Act.

“This attitude of Mr. President to an issue that is critical to our electoral system is consistent with APC’s plot to cause confusion in the polity, orchestrate an unconducive environment for elections, stall the 2023 general elections and achieve a rumoured third term agenda.

“The regularity of the electoral process as well as the confidence of the people in the certainty of timelines and outcomes of elections are the hallmarks of democracy, which the APC has been dislocating apparently with the view to undermining the electoral process.”