Professor Attahiru Jega, Ex-Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has stated that dropping the issue of the direct primaries is in the best interest of all stakeholders for 2020, urging that over-riding the President’s decision may not be a good idea.
Jega disclosed this at the citizens’ town hall Electoral Bill 2021 event, organised by Yiaga Africa on Sunday.
He stated that although it would have been better to conduct direct primaries, INEC needs a law to begin preparations with.
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What the former INEC boss said
Jega said, “On direct primaries, clearly the electoral process will have better integrity if we do direct primaries appropriately.
“However, we need to interrogate this situation very well, so my suggestion is to give INEC the law to begin preparation for the 2023 elections.
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“The simplest way to do that is not to override the president, but to drop the issue of direct primaries until we can ensure that parties can really hold direct primaries.
“You cannot throw the baby away with the bathwater, so let’s not because of the direct primary miss out on other good things in the law.”
He added that this needs to be done, to enable Nigeria to have a law that can be assented to so that INEC can prepare for the 2023 elections,
What you should know
- Nairametrics reported earlier this month that President Muhammadu Buhari declared his intention to sign the Electoral Bill if changes are made to give options to indirect primaries.
- He added that he does not support direct primaries because he wants people to be given a choice, citing that the masses can’t be given only one option which he says is not democratic and urged for 3 options creating a proper consensus.
