The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has recommended to the National Assembly to remove the clauses regarding direct primary election in the 2021 Election Law Amendment Bill, to be signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
IPAC National Chairman Yabagi Sani gave the advice at a press conference Monday in Abuja.
IPAC is the umbrella body for all registered political parties in Nigeria.
Sani said IPAC was impressed with lawmakers by the courage, high level of commitment and patriotism they displayed in passing the bill, describing it as innovative and transformative in the annals of the National Assembly.
However, he said that the IPAC noted that the only complaint voiced by the president was the provision in the bill for the mandatory use of direct primary elections in the selection of standard-bearers for all political parties.
“While many may not bow to the explanation of the security challenges given by the president, it will be difficult, however, to disagree with him on the reason for the complex logistics and the enormous financial burden that direct primary elections will imply for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“Many have expressed the view that no amount of money should be considered too high in efforts to clean up the nation’s electoral process and that therefore the legislature should invoke its veto powers to override the president.
“For us at IPAC, such an action can be equivalent to a total sinking of the ship.
“We believe that, as much as we value its perceived benefits, the country at this stage of its democracy does not appear to be mature enough and prepared for the direct primary election model in the selection of political party champions.
“Furthermore, in the context of the president’s decisive aversion to this particular provision of the electoral bill, the use of the veto by the legislature may simply result in a fruitless exercise if, at the end of the day, its implementation is not supported by He required financing from the executive, ”he said.
Mr Sani said that the IPAC was inclined to believe that the National Assembly’s position on indirect primaries amounts to an attempt to usurp the constitutional rights of parties as to the method of electing party flaggers. .
He said lawmakers could have acted as intruders by trying to direct political parties from the holy chambers.
He said that, objectively, in the context of international practices, primary elections cannot be legislated, but are best left to the discretion of political parties.
“We believe and wish to warn accordingly that, as elected officials, the National Assembly and the executive arms should care more about ensuring the integrity of the electoral process and how to reduce the costs of democratic practices and make our democracy more resilient.
“The way out of the jam, in our opinion at the IPAC, is for the legislature and the executive arms of government to change ground toward a compromise and amicable resolution that results in a win-win scenario.
“This should not be a difficult task since the two weapons are certainly controlled by the same political party, the APC.
Consequently, the IPAC recommends that the Legislature agree to the suppression of the clauses relating to direct primary elections, saving the other equally important provisions, including the mandatory electronic transmission of electoral results by INEC.
“With that, we believe that President Buhari should have no more reason to deny his assent.
“To avoid further pitfalls in the remodeling and implementation of this law, we suggest that the legislature and the executive should consider carrying out IPAC.
“This is in view of the fact that the bill directly affects our members, the political parties, who will implement the law when it is finally enacted. Whoever wears the shoes knows where to press, ”said Sani.
He also asked the legislature and the executive to propose measures to address the “excessive defections” of elected officials from one party to another to save the country’s democracy.
The president described such defection as a display of immoral political adventurism, a roguish display of impunity, a shameless disregard for the constitution, and a bold violation of the electorate’s mandate.
Mr. Sani said that IPAC believed that it was completely illegal for an elected official who was elected on the platform and manifesto of a political party to leave that party while in office, without the precedent constitutional conditions to do so.
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He said: “IPAC wishes to point out the fact that the frivolous and deliberate ‘cross-carpet’ only exists in a parliamentary democracy and not in a presidential system of democracy that exists in Nigeria.
“In our opinion, any elected official who feels they have reason to change political party, our advice at IPAC is that such officials should resign and seek a new term from the electorate on the platform of their new political party. “
Mr. Sani revealed that IPAC was working to establish in Abuja, a pan-African institute for democracy that would become known as the African Institute for Democracy.
“The central idea of the concept is the deepening and diffusion of inclusive democracy in the African continent through the creation of a center for research and teaching of democracy with prejudices on the peculiar characteristics of Africa.”
He said that soon in the New Year, IPAC will establish a body of high-powered experts and influencers to work on the realization of the project.
(YAYA)