Wike: Direct primary clause included in electoral bill so Buhari won’t give assent

Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, says the clause on direct primaries for political parties was deliberately included in the electoral act amendment bill so that the president wouldn’t assent to it.

The bill was transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent on November 19.

The legislation provides for electronic transmission of election results and the compulsory use of direct primary to pick candidates by all political parties.

There have been calls for the national assembly to veto the electoral bill if Buhari refuses to sign it.

But Wike, in a statement by Kelvin Ebiri, his special assistant on media, said it is obvious to him and “all discerning minds” that the clause on direct primaries was inserted into the electoral bill as an excuse for the president to refuse assent to it.

Wike reportedly spoke o Monday at the flag-off of the Chokocho-Igbodo road performed by Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, in Etche LGA of the state.

He accused APC governors and the lawmakers of deceiving Nigerians, alleging that the lawmakers had secretly agreed to scuttle the possibility of transmitting election results electronically in 2023.

According to Wike, the lawmakers are not interested in protecting the interest of Nigerians and ensuring that elections are free and fair.

“Three weeks ago, I told Nigerians that there is a conspiracy not to have a free, fair, transparent election in 2023 and that conspiracy was very clear. And I told Nigerians, Mr President will not sign the electoral act amendment bill,” Wike was quoted as saying.

“What APC resolved in the meeting they had was that their problem is not necessarily direct primaries, but the electronic transmission of result in 2023.

“If they allow that, obviously APC will lose the election in 2023 and they told themselves that the only way we can survive that is to include the direct primaries in the bill so that Mr President can use that as an excuse, that he will not sign the bill.

“Unfortunately, you don’t have a national assembly that has what it takes, that will stand for the people, that will say ‘look, we were elected by the people and we want to give the people the best’.

“Nobody in the national assembly, not even the leadership, can have what it takes to say ‘Mr President, for the interest of Nigerians, we are going to veto this your refusal’.”

Wike said the way forward is for Nigerians “not to repeat the mistakes of 2015 and 2019” and “send the APC government packing” in 2023.