Electoral act: Ministers seeking court order to delete clause on appointees, CSOs claim

Some civil society organisations (CSOs) have alleged that “top appointees” and ministers in the current administration are seeking court orders to delete clause 84(12) of the Electoral Act 2022.

The Civil Society Partners on Electoral Reform (CiSPER) made the allegation in a statement issued on Sunday by Ariyo-Dare Atoye, executive director, Adopt A Goal for Development Initiative, and endorsed by Centre for Liberty and Students Advocates for Development Initiative (YSAD).

Following his assent to the bill, Buhari had asked the national assembly to expunge the aforementioned section because it “disenfranchises” serving political appointees.

The section reads: “No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.”

However, when the request was presented for consideration at the upper legislative chamber, senators rejected it.

The CSOs, in the statement, claimed that “Buhari’s longest-serving ministers who want to run for office are the architects of the plot”.

They, however, didn’t give further details on those involved in the “plot”.

“We are glad that the national assembly has rejected an attempt to personalise the law of the land to serve the interest of a few persons who want to avoid the political risk of resigning to contest elections,” the statement reads.

“There is nothing altruistic or in the public interest about the request of Mr President to amend the new act, other than the narrow self-serving interest of a few political appointees who want to eat their cake and have it.

“We are, however, not unaware that after the senate rejected the amendment sought by President Buhari to Section 84(12) of the new act, some top appointees, including ministers, are forum shopping to achieve their inordinate aim.

“It is quite disturbing that these persons who are among the longest-serving ministers in Nigeria’s history could be stretching the privilege to serve the country out of over 200 million people too far.

“Section 84(12) seeks to create a level playing field for all aspirants, and it drastically reduces the undue advantage that statutory delegates automatically give to incumbent executive office holders during party primaries.

“We urge President Buhari not to represent the amendment to the national assembly because he has the prerogative to re-appoint any appointee who resigns but fails to win the APC primary.”