The Governor of Bauchi State and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Aspirant, Bala Mohammed, on Wednesday, said President Muhammadu Buhari’s inability to sign the amendment Electoral Act 2022, has made his journey to the presidency easy.
He stated that it was in favour of aspirants like him.
Bala Mohammed disclosed this in Abuja while on a thank you visit to President for inaugurating a N23.5 billion World Bank Assisted Upgraded Bauchi Township Water Supply Scheme.
The Governor, spoke while fielding questions from State House Correspondents after leading a meeting with the President on the failure of the Buhari to sign the Act, said.
“Well, I’m a realist. I believe that the electoral Act is a product of legislative process and that has been done and it was not done earlier and then we have a timeline and guideline of INEC, so we’ll have to manage it.
“I think the less the merrier as somebody who is in the race. Well, I have less delegates to go and woo, it is better for me than all these 4,000, 5,000 delegates. Anyway, that is my take.”
He stated that the process of amending the electoral act did not start on time and signing it now might go against National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines for elections.
Nigerians, especially the political class, Civil society groups and some political parties had mounted pressure on the President Buhari to assent to the amendment to the current Section 84 (8), which provides that only the delegates voted at the indirect primaries and National Convention of political parties, are to vote candidates during primaries.
It’s only delegates democratically elected for that purpose that could elect.
The Network gathered that the implication was that statutory delegates, such as elected political office holders, political appointees and Executive Officers of political parties are not eligible to vote at primaries to nominate candidates for the 2023 general election.
The non-signing of the new Section 84 by the President, drastically reduced the number of delegates for party indirect primaries and reduced the financial implications of delegate elections.
