Why Buhari is reluctant to sign electoral bill – Wike

The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, said on Saturday President Mohammed Buhari was reluctant to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill because of fears the All Progressives Congress (APC) would lose the 2023 General Elections.

Wike, who stated this during the inauguration of facilities at the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Bayelsa State Medical University in Yenagoa, added that the compulsory inclusion of electronic transmission of results in the electoral bill was APC’S greatest fear.

The National Assembly forwarded the reworked electoral bill to the President for assent on January 31.

The governor said: “They (APC) are afraid that if INEC in 2023 transmits election results electronically that is the end of them, because they know they will fail.

READ ALSO: ‘Fulfill your promise of securing Nigeria from Boko Haram, bandits,’ Wike tells Buhari

“Every time this government, this party will find an excuse of not signing an Electoral Act. In 2018 to 2019 when they inserted the card reader in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, Mr. President said no, it is too early, I will not sign because they know if they had inserted it (card reader) in the 2019 election it would have been difficult for APC to win.

“Now, we are in 2022, going for 2023, National Assembly in their wisdom said there must be direct primaries by all the parties, Mr. President came and said no, put options. National Assembly in their wisdom has amended the bill and agreed to what Mr. President said. Now again, Mr President said I’m in dilemma, I’m consulting. What is the consultation? There is a clause that says if a minister or a commissioner want to run for election you have to resign, that is why up till now Mr. President cannot assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

“After all, when I was a minister I resigned to run for the governorship. I resigned and I won the primaries. So what is this hullabaloo of not resigning and you keeping Nigerians’ fate hanging? Every day, Nigerians are thinking of what is going to be in the future, where are we heading to?”

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