…alleges some APC chieftains moving against the signing of the bill

…says nothing to lose if the bill’s signed

By Gabriel Ewepu

AS political anxiety continues to gather across the country over issues surrounding the 2023 general elections, a Civil Society Organisation, Concerned Nigerians, Friday, expressed doubt over President Muhammadu Buhari signing the long-awaited Electoral Amendment Act Bill into law.

This was part of the assertions of the Convener, CN, Comrade Deji Adeyanju, while speaking with Saturday Vanguard over the delay in signing the bill into law despite calls from several quarters for the President to write his name in gold and will be remembered for if he patriotically signs the bill into law.

Adeyanju also alleged that there are some chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, who do not want the President to sign the bill into law.

He said: “Personally, I don’t think the President wants to sign the Electoral Act Amendment because of electronic transmission of results and other wonderful innovations.

“His party wouldn’t want him to sign, especially those who want to rig the 2023 general elections they will keep prevailing on him not to sign, and I think that is why the strangely smuggled in the issue of direct primaries that will stall the signing of the electoral bill.

“I think is just a devilish and strategic move to prevent the President from signing the electoral bill because how do you force and compel political parties on methods of primaries?”

Baring his mind on the controversial issue of direct primaries in the bill he said, “Those who want direct primaries should do and those who want indirect primaries should do it. So I think all these are political gimmicks to prevent the President from signing the electoral bill.”

He added that “If you call, the last electoral bill was not signed by the President on the flimsy excuse that it was too close to the presidential election in 2019, and that excuse was indeed laughable.”

He also predicted that “I see a repeat of the act, the President is not too committed to transparent and credible elections in the country, and I don’t see him signing the electoral bill.”

However, he asserted that the way things are now with the bill being delayed by the President in signing the bill into law will lead to some implications.

“The implication is if the President fails to sign the electoral bill is that the 2023 general election will be another rigged election that lacks credibility like the last one because the last election was massively rigged. We saw what they were doing in Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, and others without proper transmission of results.

“In fact, INEC came out to say the whole server of the election disappeared and no server. So the credibility of election is tied to and not just how to vote, election results are transmitted from one unit to the other to the national database of INEC in this modern-day technology-driven world”, he said.

He also stressed that there is no gainsaying about a technology-driven electoral process if the right thing is done and Nigeria gets it right as far as 2023 general elections are concerned.

“So the impact of electronic voting cannot be over-emphasized. The current Electoral Act Amendment Bill put before the President seeks to strengthen credible elections in the country, and if the President fails to sign this is going to be the outcome”, he pointed.

However, he advised the President to sign the bill into law as he has nothing to lose as an outgoing President.

“The President is an outgoing President, and my advice to him is that he has nothing to lose and do the right thing by signing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law so that our country can move forward”, he stated.

Vanguard News Nigeria