A civil society organization Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM) has commended members of both chambers of the national assembly for doing the needful in removing the controversial clause 87 of the electoral bill which made direct election the sole method of political parties primary and reviewing it to accommodate other options of indirect election and consensus as the members of a political party so decides.
In a press release issued by the executive chairman of the organization Nelson Ekujumi in Lagos today Thursday 20th January 2022, he stated “We recall that our voice at CPPM was one of the very few loud ones that commended and congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari for his patriotism and statesmanship in declining assent to the electoral bill due to the controversial clause which to us apart from the logical and rational reasons adduced by Mr. President, was dictatorial, obnoxious, undemocratic and an assault on the internal democratic rights of the parties”.
According to Nelson Ekujumi, CPPM is also very glad to note that President Muhammadu Buhari who has always and indisputably put the collective interest of Nigerians first and foremost on all issues, did not buckle to the campaign of blackmail and calumny by agents of destabilization who went all out to incite and sow seed of discord even before Mr. President declined assent to the bill of which the controversial clause was motivated by self interest as against national interest by the legislators.
But today, same persons, interest and groups masquerading as fighting for the masses but whose interest is about politics of hate and division, are all out congratulating the legislators for doing the right thing of reviewing the controversial clause to meet with the observations raised by Mr. President in his correspondence with the national assembly and are now saying the legislators have done the right, logical and rational thing, which makes one to wonder, why the double speak so sudden, but we hope Nigerians are taking note of these persons and groups for what they stand for?
The group then called on the national assembly to harmonize their positions to reflect the rights of the parties to internally and democratically choose their candidates either through direct or indirect election or consensus because, “We have noted that while the Senate amendment accommodated direct, indirect election and consensus, that of the house of representatives only recognized direct and indirect election”.
CPPM admonished the national assembly to as soon as possible harmonize the bill appropriately and send it back to Mr President for assent in order to deepen our democracy.
