Garba Shehu: New electoral act will address misuse of public funds for political campaign

Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, says the new electoral act will prevent political appointees from using public funds for election campaigns.

President Muhammadu Buhari signed the electoral act amendment bill on Friday.

At the signing ceremony, the president asked the national assembly to delete section 84(11) of the act which bars political appointees from voting or being voted for in party primaries.

In an article on Sunday, Shehu asked the national assembly to review the section, which President Muhammadu Buhari had also expressed concern about.

“It addresses the unfortunate fact that some polling station results in the past have been declared under duress – now with the power to review any results announced under such circumstances enshrined in law, it makes the use of coercive behavior counterproductive,” he said.

“The act also addresses the misuse of appointed political office as a platform and source of resources from which to campaign for elected political office.

“In the coming days or weeks, the parliament and the executive should reach a common ground on the issue raised by the president at the point of signing the law, which is the requirement for appointed political office holders to first resign before being eligible to vote or stand for election in the primaries for elective offices.”

Shehu added that the act is an example of “perfect workings of a parliament and executive both driven by new energy to deliver change in a country where the people want to move in a different direction”.