Nigeria electoral body, INEC has offered a “general” endorsement of the Electoral Bill but made an apparent suggestion to the President to consult with political parties and security agencies over the controversial direct primaries provision, PREMIUM TIMES gathered.
The bill was sent to President Muhammadu Buhari by the National Assembly on November 19, and he has 30 days to assent or veto it. The bill, which amends the existing Electoral Act 2010, proposes, among other things, to make direct primaries the only way for political parties to select their candidates for elections and to legalise electronic transmission of results.
According to PREMIUM TIMES, the President’s Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, wrote INEC on November 29 asking for its “detailed and considered view by December 3 to inform” Mr Buhari’s decision on the bill.
The bill has generated a schism in the ruling party, APC, particularly with regard to the direct primaries provision, which forbids the delegate or indirect system. While the APC-controlled National Assembly leadership and the Bola Tinubu camp want direct primaries, there is a group of governors who want the delegate system to remain in place.
Direct primaries, the delegate system, and consensus are all permitted ways for picking candidates for elections by political parties under the current Electoral Act 2010, as amended.
“It is the considered view of the Commission that, generally, the Bill contains substantial provisions that could lay a strong foundation for the improvements of the electoral process,” INEC said in a December 3 letter to the presidency, exclusively seen by PREMIUM TIMES.
“Among others, provisions on early submission of candidates for election, electronic transmission of results, and the power of the Commission to review declarations made under duress or are inconsistent with the law will contribute immensely to better management of elections, increased public confidence in the electoral process and overall democratic consolidation in our country.”
However, the INEC letter, written by chairman Mahmood Yakubu, appears to urge to the president that broader conversations be held, with an apparent reference to the problem of political party primaries.
“Being a multi-stakeholder activity, these matters cannot be determined by the Commission alone without consultation with political parties which shall be responsible for conducting pre-election activities involving their members and the security agencies that have the responsibility to secure the process,” the electoral body said.
The failure of INEC to make direct reference to primaries and express a viewpoint underscores the sensitivity of the issue, which is at the heart of competing camps within the APC’s tactics for securing the presidential ticket for the 2023 elections.
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“There is no way any aspirant can defeat Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu) in a process that requires members from ward to ward to queue behind his poster or agent and that of others,” a senior government official, who is also a pro-Tinubu strategist said, asking not to be identified by name to protect his job.
“Not many politicians can come out to openly mobilise against Asiwaju, even if they covertly don’t like him. But in a delegate system, they can go against him; at least, that is a secret system.”
Meanwhile, the PDP’s spokesperson, Kola Ologbodiyan, told PREMIUM TIMES that the opposition party wants Mr Buhari to sign the bill.
“The bill contains other germane issues and we cannot allow the APC to foil the process because we want to battle against the direct primaries provision,” Mr Ologbodiyan said.
“The party may challenge the direct primaries later, no party should foist a system on others. But sign the bill first.”
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According to Mr. Ologbodiyan, the president did not confer with the PDP as a stakeholder.
Aside from INEC, the presidency solicited input from the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Vice-President.
Umar Gwandu, the AGF’s spokesperson, said he had no information on the answer of his chief, Abubakar Malami, to the President’s request for guidance.
Garba Shehu, Femi Adesina, and Laolu Akande, presidential spokespersons, did not respond to phone calls seeking comment for this report.
However, a senior State House official, who volunteered to talk “in strictest confidence” because he lacks the authorization to discuss the topic with the press, said that Mr Buhari favours direct primaries, which allow members to choose who their party nominate for elections.
“What I can tell you in strictest confidence is that Presidency is clearly dissatisfied with the seeming isolation of the people and party members from the party selection process as it is,” the official said. “And the President is determined to correct this as a legacy.”
