ACF Chieftain Faults Malami On Direct Primaries

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By Dirisu Yakubu, ABUJA

Against the backdrop of the stand of Abubakar Malami, Attorney General of the Federation, AGF and Minister of Justice on direct primary election model contained in the new electoral act amendment bill, a chieftain of the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, Anthony Sani has faulted the Minister, saying direct primaries would do the polity a world of good.

Malami reportedly wrote a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari recently, wherein, he expressed his reservations about mandatory direct primaries for all political parties. Specifically, Malami was said to have advised the President that if he sign the bill, political parties that do not have the primary election selection model in their constitutions would have to amend same to reflect the provision of the law or would be unable to select candidates to stand for elective offices.

Although the contents of the  AGF’s letter have not been quoted in the media, it is generally believed that Malami’s fears are premised on the technicalities of the law and possible challenges this might throw up if Buhari signs the bill into law.

In a chat with Vanguard on the issue, Sani who is the immediate past secretary general of ACF noted that technicalities are not enough to prevent the President from doing the needful in line with the expectations of Nigerians at large.

He said: “I have read the opinions of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of justice on the Electoral Amendment Bill of 2021 as it affects the direct primaries by political parties. The submission has not touched on the substantive issues of what direct primaries can add to the volume and quality of internal democracy in the political parties.

“Rather, the Minister of Justice is concerned about technical issues of parties’ constitution that have already been registered and would have to be amended in the event that direct primaries are a law.

“I do not see how the provision for direct primary would affect the parties’ constitutions which provide for both direct and indirect primaries. If the President assents to the bill, it means only direct primaries are allowed.”

That said, Sani called on the AGF to focus his expertise on deepening the nation’s democracy, saying, “the place of the Minister of Justice in our democracy is to help improve our multiparty democracy with substantive and nit technical justice.

“President Buhari should therefore assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill 2021 in the interest of substantive justice and not technicality that adds no value to internal democracy.

“President Buhari should avoid the impression being created that the state governors and the Attorney General of the Federation and  Minister of Justice can usurp the functions of the National Assembly in legislative matters,” he added even as he reminded Malami that the President himself was “a product of direct primary” mode of selection of a candidate.

Vanguard News Nigeria
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