‘Paramount’ We must ensure that it becomes law, Jega tells Buhari on electoral act bill

If the direct primary technique is made mandatory for political parties, Attahiru Jega, a former head of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), believes further problems will arise.

Jega said it’s unclear whether any political party in the country has a comprehensive membership list, speaking at a town hall meeting on the electoral reform organized by Yiaga Africa on Sunday.

The compulsory direct primary provision for political parties is contained in the electoral act amendment bill rejected by President Muhammadu Buhari recently.

While explaining his decision to decline assent to the bill, Buhari said adopting compulsory direct primary for political parties “violates the spirit of democracy”.

Speaking on the development, the former INEC chairman said it is important that the country goes into the 2023 polls with a new electoral law.

“I think that this country will be better off with a new electoral law which will enhance the preparation and conduct of the election,” he said.

“Since 2010, we haven’t had a substantive legal framework for elections. We must ensure that this bill becomes law. It is very important that we have a legal framework, it will improve the integrity of the conduct of the election.

“The lawmakers think that if they opt for direct primaries they will free themselves from manipulation.

“We need to interrogate these things. If we must do direct primaries, we must do it well. Which political party in Nigeria today has a clear party register to conduct direct primaries? Let us not leave one problem and run into another one.

“If we proceed to do it (direct primaries) the way we are doing it, we will create more problems.”

Rtn. Victor Ojelabi

Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.