CSOs protest, warn of disruption in electoral timeline if Buhari fails to assent to bill

As President Muhammadu Buhari tarries with the assent of the passed Electoral Act Amendment bill, no fewer than 26 civil society organisations embarked on a protest on Tuesday, February 22.

The President is yet to assent the bill since it was passed on January 31, 2022, by the national assembly, after it was reworked to reflect recommendations from the presidency.

The coalition, which converged on Tuesday morning at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, included: Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Yiaga Africa, Partners for Electoral Reform, International Press Centre, Institute for Media and Society, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, The Albino Foundation, Centre for Citizens with Disability, Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism, Labour Civil Society Coalition, Transition Monitoring Group, CLEEN Foundation and Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre.

Various representatives spoke about the dangers and disruption to the electoral timeline and democratic process if President Buhari refuses to assent by the end of Tuesday.

This is despite an earlier re-assurance by Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, during an interview on Channels TV.

“He (Buhari) will sign it (the bill) any moment from now. It could be today, it could be tomorrow, it could be anytime, but within the 30 days.

“It could be signed today; it could be signed tomorrow. In a matter of hours, not days. Hours could be 24 hours, it could be 48 hours; not days, not weeks,” Adesina had said.

Nonetheless, Samson Itodo, Executive Director, YIAGA Africa reiterated the importance of adhering to the timeline in order to ensure the sustainability of democracy.

“If President Buhari assents to the Bill today, the date and timeline of the elections will not be altered and there will be enough time to prepare which is beneficial for the polity.

“We want to thank everyone who has come out today to put pressure on the President and as Adesina said, we hope the Bill will be assented to. Be assured that your efforts towards the sustainability of democracy are not in waste; also, go collect your PVCs in order to exercise your franchise,” Itodo said.

Also speaking, Ene Obi, Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, wondered about the possibility of a conspiracy towards frustrating the Electoral Amendment due to the back-and-forth between the legislature and the executive which has resulted in a number of clauses inserted into the Act.

“President Buhari has rejected the Bill several times which is why we are calling him to sign the Bill. Every Nigerian has the responsibility to ensure adherence to the constitution. The Bill is riddled with various clauses whenever it is sent to the NASS, is this a conspiracy?

“We are urging the President to kindly sign the Bill in order to entrench democratic values. President Buhari made a promise to Nigeria and we are happy that Adesina said the President will sign it in hours. Give us the Bill and responsible people who will be the Electoral umpires.

“We have made our view known and we are law-abiding Nigerians which is why we want to ensure that the labour of our heroes past will not be in vain,” Obi said.

In corroboration, Yemi Adamolekun, Executive Director, Enough is Enough, warned against any sabotage of the Bill which will add to the challenges currently bedevilling the country.

Read also: CSOs threaten showdown with Buhari over refusal to sign electoral act amendment bill

“The use of technology must be enshrined in the law which is what this new law recognizes with respect to the powers granted to the INEC. If the President does not sign the bill today, the timeline of the elections will be disrupted and this is tantamount to sabotage.

“This is more something we need as a country right now with the litany of challenges bedevilling the country. Some parties are still struggling with their conventions but we don’t want them to add to the problem which is why we also for him to sign the Bill,” she said.

On his part, Awwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, said, “We want the President to sign it now. Civil society will ensure total compliance in addition to a legal framework. We will continue with this struggle for the benefit of the country.”

President Buhari had withheld his assent to the bill in November 2021, citing the cost of conducting direct primary elections, security challenges, and possible manipulation of electoral processes by political players as part of the reasons for his decision.

He, however, gave some conditions to give his assent, prompting the lawmakers to re-work the bill which initially led to the emergence of two versions from the green and red chambers of the assembly.

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