The battle over whether Nigeria’s political parties will hold direct primaries or indirect ones has now shifted to the desk of President Muhammadu Buhari with the transmission of the Electoral Act 2010 (Amendment) Bill 2021 to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent by the National Assembly.
President Buhari’s assent will also determine whether the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will employ electronic transmission of election results, which many stakeholders have clamoured for. It took immense pressure from Nigerians before unwilling federal lawmakers consented to have the electoral body do this without interference from other government agencies.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Babajide Omoworare, on Friday, said the Bill was transmitted earlier on Friday.
“Please be informed that in pursuance of Section 58 (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Acts Authentication Act Cap. A2 LFN 2004, the National Assembly has transmitted the Electoral Bill 2021 to Mr President today Friday November 19, 2021,” Omoworare said.
While federal lawmakers see the inclusion of the clause that compels direct primaries in political parties as a game-changer, and an instrument to break the strangle-hold of governors over the operation of parties in their domain, governors and political parties are vehemently opposed to it because they insist that how parties choose their candidates should be their business using the methods of indirect primaries or consensus candidacy.
Other Nigerians fear that many parties cannot afford the expenses that come with it, and that the Independent National Electoral Commission ((INEC) may not have the required capacity to handle indirect primaries.
However, INEC has not spoken up on its inability in this direction.