By Sylvanus Tyoakaa, Abuja
The National Assembly Caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to, without delay , sign the re – amended 2010 Electoral Act (Amendment ) Bill 2022 into law .
The PDP lawmaker also lashed at the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC ) for setting up 133 member campaign committee which include 16 serving governors for the forthcoming Area Councils election in Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
At a meeting on Tuesday with the members of the PDP Board of Trustees at the National Assembly, asked Buhari to expeditiously assent to the revised electoral law.
Speaking during the meeting, Senate Minority Leader , Enyinnaya Abaribe said, the bill should be signed without any delay .
Abaribe said, “Now that we have bent backwards , no any excuse or reason should be given again.
“Provisions of the bill are very critical for expected credibility of the 2023 general elections” .
Also speaking, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives , Hon. Ndudi Elumelu alleged that governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress , were lobbying the President not to sign the bill .
He declared that any attempt to persuade the president against signing the bill into law, will be resisted by the PDP and forward looking Nigerians.
“The plan of using mandayory direct primaries to scuttle the bill has failed because the National Assembly has widened the scope as requested for by the President.
“No any other unresolved issues or observations is left in the bill transmitted to the President on Monday this week .
“No more excuses , no more delay , it should be signed in the interest of credibility and sanctity of electoral process in the country”, Elumelu said.
Elumelu lampooned the ruling party for constituting 133 – member campaign council for the forthcoming Area Councils Election in FCT.
He said, rather than APC focusing on how to hold its severally postponed National Convention , “it is carrying hammer to kill ant by enlisting 16 serving governors , 12 serving ministers and countless numbers of other public office holders at the federal level to militarize Area Council Elections in the FCT”.
He said, “to us in PDP this is laughable because throughout the 16 years we were in power at the centre , there was no time such a busy body campaign council was set up for FCT Area Council election .
“Unfortunately for APC , the 133- member campaign council it set up , cannot deliver FCT for it because there is no way aliens or strangers in any place , will displace landlords”, he said .
The Clerk to the National Assembly Mr. Olatunde Amos Ojo had on Monday , transmitted the authenticated copies of the Electoral Bill 2022 to President Muhammadu Buhari .
This was done in accordance with the provisions of Section 58 (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Acts Authentication Act Cap. A2 LFN 2004.
Buhari had withheld assent to the Electoral Bill 2021 transmitted to him on November 19, 2021.
The Electoral Bill was thereafter reworked by the National Assembly and both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed same on 25th January 2022.
