A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa on Tuesday accused President Muhammadu Buhari of sabotaging efforts to ensure electoral reforms for the benefit of the country’s democracy.
Adegboruwa made this assertion on Tuesday, in a statement issued in the wake of Buhari’s non-assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill enabling the incorporation of direct primaries system.
Urging the National assembly to override President Muhammadu Buhari, he argued that by declining assent to the bill, the President did not properly exercise his discretion in the national interest.
He accused the President of frustrating electoral reforms.
Ripples Nigeria had reported that President Buhari sent a letter to the National Assembly on Monday, explaining his reasons for rejecting the proposals for direct primaries.
His reasons included the high cost of conducting direct primaries, the security challenge of monitoring the shadow polls, violation of citizens’ rights, marginalisation of political parties, likely litigation, and manipulation of the exercise
Nonetheless, Adegboruwa said, “What this means is that the President prefers to retain all the manifest flaws bedeviling our electoral system from which himself and his ruling party are benefiting to the detriment of our democratic advancement.
“Although the President is entitled to the discretion of his assent to any Bill presented to him, however, the reason adduced for the exercise of such presidential discretion must be legal and valid.
“It is clear that the discretion has not been properly exercised in the national interest, in this particular case.”
He urged the National Assembly to invoke the provisions of section 58(5) of the Constitution to pass the Bill into law, through the two-thirds majority of both Houses.
