President Muhammadu Buhari has broken his silence on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill of 2021.
According to a Thisday-online, the president has withheld his assent in a letter to the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, citing prevailing situations in the country for not signing the bill.
President Buhari also cites the high cost of conducting direct primaries, the security challenge of monitoring the election, violation of citizens’ rights and marginalization of small political parties.
He concludes by saying it would be better to allow each political party determine its mode of selecting candidates for election.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission says it will require 305 billion naira to conduct the 2023 general elections.
So says the chairman of the commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu
Meeting with a senate committee today, the INEC boss noted that the amount will enable the electoral body prepare for the election and purchase all the election materials needed, including several bye-elections across the country.
He, however, stated that the commission has already received N100 billion out of the required amount for the elections.
