President Muhammadu Buhari has been told not to sign into law, the Electoral Act 2010 amendment when transmitted to the Executive by the National Assembly.
Making the call on Sunday, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), said, “withholding assent will be the only proof that President is not part of the conspiracy to undermine the country’s electoral process.”
The CNPP said by their behavior, “members of the legislative arm of the Nigerian government have made themselves number one enemy of Nigeria’s democracy.
The organization also said instead of making efforts to better the system, the National Assembly members have become a major hindrance to conscious efforts to progressively deepen the country’s democracy.
CNPP, in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Willy Ezugwu, however, said the decision of the lawmakers to stand against the popular wish of Nigerians did not come to it as a surprise.
The organization said the APC-dominated National Assembly is filled with lawmakers who are out to undermine the electoral process by voting against the demands of Nigerians.
“All Nigerians who hoped that the National Assembly, especially the Senate, would vote for an improvement in the country’s electoral process in a manner that will lead to a freer, fairer and more credible process for the sake of good governance and the rule of law,” the statement added.
It is unimaginable that a Nigerian lawmaker would vote for a statutory function of INEC to be approved by the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), a federal government agency under the full control of the executive.
No political party will forever remain in power. So, it is political folly for a lawmaker to make laws to favor his or her party.
Worse still, we have seen the ruling party and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) swap members and even candidates in an election, showcasing a lack of democratic principles or ideology, even when there is no crisis in their respective political parties”, the CNPP observed.
“If President does, we shall meet in court as the amendment won’t be allowed to stand”, the CNPP warned.
