A coalition of Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, has called
on the National Assembly to either override the decision of President Muhammadu
Buhari or remove the contentious clause(s) from the 2021 Electoral Amendment
Bill and transmit it back to the President for assent in the next one month.
The CSOs said this while expressing dismay over the decision
of President Buhari to reject the Amended Electoral Act.
Recall that Buhari, on Monday, officially
rejected the bill which was passed by the National Assembly a month ago.
His decision to withhold his assent followed the inclusion
of direct primary elections in the bill.
According to a letter the President sent to the Senate
President, Ahmed Lawan, he cited insecurity and the high cost of conducting the
direct primary as his reasons for rejecting the bill.
The CSOs made the demand in a joint statement issued to
journalists on Tuesday.
The statement was signed by Institute for Media and Society,
Yiaga Africa, International Press Centre, Centre for Citizens with Disability,
the Albino Foundation, Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism, CLEEN
Foundation and Nigerian Women Trust Fund.
The statement reads in part, “To avert further complications
and logjam in the efforts to strengthen the electoral process, we strongly
recommend as follows: The National Assembly as a matter of national emergency
should either override the President’s decision or remove the contentious
clause (s) from the bill and transmit the bill back to the President for assent
within the next 30 days.
“The National Assembly should ensure that all clerical,
editorial, and cross-referencing gaps in the current bill are resolved before
transference back to the President.
“The President should expeditiously assent to the revised
bill upon receipt from the National Assembly.
“Civil society groups, media, and development partners must
sustain the effort to protect the will of the people and safeguard the
electoral reform process from policy capture and manipulation.
“The National Assembly should ensure that all clerical,
editorial, and cross-referencing gaps in the current bill are resolved before
transference back to the President.”
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