Gov Wike ‘very sure’ President Buhari will not sign Electoral Amendment Bill into law

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has categorically stated that President Muhammadu Buhari will not sign the electoral act amendment bill into law.

Ripples Nigeria had reported that the National Assembly on November 18, transmitted the bill to the president for assent.

This will empower the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to determine the best mode to transmit election results — either electronically or manually.

However, Wike, during an interview on AIT on Thursday, expressed doubts at the readiness of the President to assent to the bill.

“He will not sign it. I’m very sure. The signs are there. This Nigeria, sometimes I wonder why we belabour ourselves on certain things. Look at it very well. If you work with a system, you must understand that system — the pattern.

“When that issue came out between the governors and the legislators, I just laughed and I told myself ‘why are you worried about this?’ The president will not sign it — it’s dead on arrival.

Read also: Wike knocks National Assembly over e-transmission of election results, Buhari govt’s borrowings

“They merely created that let there be a decision. They have now passed it on to INEC. When has INEC become Buhari that will say you can do this or you cannot do this — to choose which law is good or bad?

“What they are pushing is for INEC to come up and say ‘look, the cost implication will be this’. And then Buhari will now dwell on that and say ‘based on security implications or the cost of this, I will not do this’.

“Yes, the president has always said so many things; that he wants to leave a legacy for Nigeria. One of the legacies he wants to leave is to conduct a transparent election.

“In 2019, why did they not sign the electoral amendment that called for this electronic transmission? The same thing is going to happen. They have told him ‘your party will be affected; your party is gone’. I know the president will not sign,” Wike said.

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