EXCLUSIVE: Buhari Will Not Sign Amended Electoral Act Crucial For Statutory Delegates’ Participation In Primary Elections 

President Muhammadu Buhari will not sign the recently amended Electoral Act 2022 that will allow statutory delegates to participate and vote in the forthcoming primary elections of political parties, THE WHISTLER can authoritatively report. 

THE WHISTLER exclusively gathered that arising from a legal opinion by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, President Buhari will not append his signature to the bill, thereby foreclosing the fate of about 1, 700 statutory delegates from the legislative arm alone. 

Both the Senate and House of Representatives had amended and passed Section 84(8) of the Electoral Act, 2022, to allow their members and other statutory delegates to take part in the separate primaries of political parties in the country. 

This followed what the lawmakers called “an unintended error” in the current version which prevents the statutory delegates from taking part in party primaries.

Where political parties choose indirect primaries in an election, delegates are supposed to elect candidates for such parties. But section 84(8) of the current Electoral Act only permits elected delegates and not statutory delegates to participate in party primaries or conventions.

Buhari was expected to give assent to the amended Act after returning from his two-day trip to the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, but a competent source said the document would be sent back to the National Assembly this week. 

The development means that statutory delegates would be prevented from partaking in the forthcoming party primaries alongside delegates elected for the purpose of electing candidates in the primaries or conventions. 

Statutory delegates include councillors, local government chairmen and their vices, political party chairmen in all the 774 Local Government Areas as well as state and federal lawmakers.

Others are governors and their deputies, president and vice president, members of the National Working Committees of parties, state party chairmen and secretaries.

Earlier at the weekend, the Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Dr. Sam Amadi, had attributed the repeated alterations in the dates of primaries or post-primary activities of some political parties to the uncertainties brought about by the National Assembly’s amendment of the Electoral Act and President Buhari’s delayed assent. 

Amadi appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the June 3rd deadline fixed for all political parties to conclude their primary elections. 

He made the appeal at a roundtable tagged “2023 Elections: Strengthening INEC oversight on internal Democracy of Political Parties” held in Abuja.

“Let me say it clearly that this time I could see no reason why INEC should not accept the demands of the association of political parties, putting pressure on it to extend the deadline for primaries.

“Many of us have supported INEC not to extend the deadline, but there is clearly confusion in the system right now, such that it is actually right for INEC to consider the demand of political parties.

“If you actually look at the time allotted for campaigns, it is extensive, so it may be right to cut off some of those things and get the primaries right. 

“Look at how some of these parties are postponing their primaries by one day, two days just because nobody knows the Electoral Act that would be used.

“If the president signs the amendment to the Electoral Act 2022, that means things will change immediately,” he had said.