The attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami has said that President Muhammadu Buhari withheld assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill 2021 because it does not capture the interest of Nigerians.
Malami who spoke during a Hausa programme on Radio Kano, said the President has the right to take decision on any bill presented to him adding that Buhari withheld assent to the Bill and returned it to the national assembly in the overall interest of Nigerians.
Malami said senators and house of representatives members were only concerned about their political inclination in drafting the bill, noting that the cost implication of direct primary is huge.
He said signing such a bill into law would further create crisis in the political space.
“What you should understand about leadership of the country most especially as it regards President Muhammadu Buhari on any law presented to him for signing, the president is entitled to certain rights.
“When you talk about politics he has rights, if you talk about economy the business community also have rights on him, if you are talking about 60 per cent of Nigerians that are not politicians, if you talk about the economy he also has rights.
“If you are talking about security, there is also what is expected from him. The president has to consider laws that are sustainable.
“The job of the president is that of politics, economy, business, security, legislations, politicians and non-politicians.
“This is because the leadership of the country is not for the politicians alone, it is a leadership that affects social life of the people, their religion, economy, security and others. This is contrary to the leadership of the legislators which is solely political.
“Therefore, the lawmakers are only concerned about their political inclination while the president is concerned about the entire lives of Nigerian made up of politicians and non- politicians.
“Any bill signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari is in the interest of all Nigerians, irrespective of their inclinations. He is after satisfying the interest of the over 200 million Nigerians he is serving and not a particular sector,” he said.
The attorney general also commented on the controversial direct primaries embedded in the bill saying: “One of the reasons is that there are 18 political parties and a law is founded that will allow for direct primaries.
“The difference between this and the general election is small because it allows for all Nigerians to come about and say their opinions.
“This means that you will repeat the general elections 18 times. Today, INEC requires N305 billion for the 2022 general elections Now, if the general elections will cost this much, how much will it cost to do the same election in the APC? It might cost at least N200 billion because it will involve everyone.
“Although the good side of the law is that INEC is required to monitor it. Therefore, if it is assumed that every political party will spend N200 billion, how much will then be spent in conducting the same primary election in 18 political parties just to produce a qualified candidate?
“Let’s assume there are about 60 million politicians in the country. What about the remaining over 160 million Nigerians, who have nothing to do with politics? Are you fair to them?
“All the people want are good projects, good road from Abuja to Kano, potable drinking water, good education, school feeding programme and the rest of them. Are you fair to the 160 million Nigerians using their wealth just to conduct primary to produce a party candidate, despite other demands by the public?
“My answer to this is that, to spend this N305 billion that will be given to the INEC and the about N200 billion to be given to the political parties is not fair to the remaining 160 million Nigerians who have no business about politics and political appointments. Their business is just a better life in Nigeria. This is the issue of cost implications.”
Also justifying Buhari’s action, his media aide, Mr. Femi Adesina said overriding the president’s veto was not the best option opened the lawmakers.
“Under democracy, the legislators have the right to override the President. But is toeing that path the most expedient thing to do now when there are other options open to the lawmakers?”
On the financial burden in the new electoral bill rejected by the president, Malami said: “Today INEC requires N305 billion for the 2022 general elections. Now if the general election, which is not the newly proposed electoral system, will cost this much, how much will it cost to do the same election in the APC? It might cost at least N200 billion because it will involve everyone.
“Although the good side of the law is that INEC is required to monitor it.
“Therefore if it is assumed that every political party will spend N200 billion, how much will then be spent in conducting the same primary election in 18 political parties just to produce a qualified candidate?
“Let’s assume there are about 60 million politicians in the country, what about the remaining over 160 million Nigerians who have nothing to do with politics? Are you fair to them?
“All the people want are good projects, good road from Abuja to Kano, potable drinking water, good education, school feeding programme and the rest of them.
“Are you fair to the 160 million Nigerians using their wealth just to conduct primary election to produce a party candidate, despite other demands by the public?
“My answer to this is that, to spend this N305 billion that will be given to the INEC and the about N200 billion to be given to the political parties is not fair to the remaining 160 million Nigerians who have no business about politics and political appointments.
“Their business is just a better life in Nigeria. This is the issue of cost implications.”
Meanwhile, the immediate past secretary general of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Mr. Anthony Sani, said if direct primary which produced the president in 2019 did not bring about any crisis, then Malami was wrong to have advised the president to refuse to sign the electoral amendment bill based on it, and other grounds.
“We have reacted to the advice by the attorney general and minister of justice which seemed to have informed President Buhari’s letter to the national assembly on why he withheld assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill of 2021.
“We had said the reasons given in the letter dwelled more on fears than in real advantages of direct primary in the enhancement of internal democracy in our political parties.
“So, by saying the amendment as presented would bring about crisis does not make it so considering the direct primary which produced President Buhari in 2019 did not bring about any crisis,” he said.
Sani further the president surprised Nigerians with his reaction to direct primaries because while many APC states organised indirect primaries to elect their candidates, the president was surefooted about demanding that direct primaries be conducted in electing the president.
“The president’s letter to the national assembly has also ignored the important advantages of direct primary which includes improvement of internal democracy of the political parties by doing away with power and abuse of incumbency of governors and money bags who deploy their powers and hijack delegates during the indirect primary. Rather, the president’s letter has dwelled so much on fear to the chagrin of advantages of direct primary,” he said.
He further countered Malami on the cost of direct primaries.
“When the letter talks of the high cost of direct primary, it feigns ignorance of the fact that direct primaries take place either at polling unit level or ward level by only registered party members who are far fewer than registered voters, and that any other exercise is a matter of collation for the relevant constituency, such as state assembly, chairman of local government, house of reps, senate, governor, and president,” he said.
