Buhari Undermining 2023 Elections With Delay In Assenting Electoral Amendment Bill—CSOs

A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sign the Electoral Act Amended bill into law.

According to them, further delay could affect preparations for the 2023 general elections.

Addressing journalists during a protest in Abuja on Tuesday, the Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Ene Obi said the President had declined to assent the electoral act at five different times, adding that this should not be further condoned.

She said, “What we are asking the President to do is to assent to the bill. He has declined assent to the bill five times. We are calling on him as the father of the nation to sign the bill.

“I want you to know that each and every one of you is responsible for upholding the constitution of Nigeria. The constitution is not just one person’s responsibility, we know that more than 400 members of the National Assembly have passed this bill.

“We don’t know where the problem is, because each time the bill is returned to the National Assembly, they add another clause before it goes to the President.

“Is this a conspiracy against Nigerians or to rig the 2023 election? But we acknowledged the speedy way in which the National Assembly passed this bill in 2022.

“We are urging the President to sign the bill. If he doesn’t sign, we call on the National Assembly to override him. The President made a promise to Nigerians on national television to sign if the assembly does what he wanted.”

Speaking also, the Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Rafsanjani said that Nigerians are tired of electoral fraud and manipulation.

He added, “Nigerians want inclusion. Mr President, as a matter of urgency and with all patriotism should sign this bill.

“Delay is dangerous. It would not stop here, after signing, we would ensure it is followed to the latter and ensure we have a transparent election.”

The Executive Director, YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo while pointing out the need for the amendment of electoral bill, he said, “We are mindful of the implication of Clause 28 (I) of the electoral bill 2022 which provides that INEC would issue a notice of election in 360 days to the 2023 election. To avert legal complications, we urge the President to assent to the bill. We hope he does that today.

“This is in the best interest of our democracy, any further delay would undermine the process of the 2023 elections. If he wants to leave a better legacy behind, we urge him to sign it.

“We would like to give him the benefits of the doubt. He had failed five times, if he has any issue with any provision in the electoral bill, he should forward a proposed amendment to those clauses as he has done for the petroleum industry.”