The Leadership of the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), has expressed dismay over the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to reject the Amended Electoral Act.
The youths noted that President Buhari would be remembered as the President who never stood by the majority of his citizens but allowed himself to be caged by few elements who cannot win election in their various units without rigging.
Comrade Isah Abubakar, President, Northern Youth Council of Nigeria, in a statement made available to Daily Post on Wednesday said, “This will not be the first time Mr President will present himself as agent that is averse to democratic advancement. During the lifespan of the 8th Assembly led by Senator Bukola Saraki, the Electoral Act was amended and forwarded to him for ascend, he shy away from it, citing flimsy reasons despite being the principal beneficiary of Yar’adua/Goodluck Jonathan’s led electoral reform.”
The group opined, “If previous leaders had not assume the position of elder statesmen and live above their selfish and parochial interest, Mr Buhari would have been rearing his not so productive cows in Daura without the hope of winning any election. As no credible election can be conducted under a weak law.”
The Council viewed the security reasons adduced as one of the reasons why he withheld ascent as self indictment, stressing that as President who swore to an oath to protect every Nigerian, he cannot be talking about insecurity despite spending six years in office.
“If Mr President feels Nigeria is not safe for direct primaries, we wish to further buttress our call for him to resign and allow others with the capability to take over in other to suppress all insurgents that developed wings under the not-so-watchful eyes of President Buhari,” the group reiterated.
According to the group, “On the issue of finances, do we need to remind Mr President that at the rate the country is going, the only thing that can guaranty national cohesion going forward is perceived credible election, where the election is not widely accepted by all, and it leads to crisis, the money we think we want to conserve by not giving Nigerians what they yearned for will be paltry compare to what will be used in trying to restore the country to normalcy. As usual, we know that our wise counsel won’t be acted upon by Mr President and the tiny cabals misleading him, but posterity will judge us right.”
On the issue of overstretching of INEC staff and further cost implications, the statement explained that Nigerians are all aware that all political parties conduct their congresses via direct means to elect ward executives, which is mandatory to be conducted under INEC watchful eyes, before it is cascaded to indirect means at the Local Government, State and National levels.
It added that it is applicable to all political parties, except some few briefcase parties that are only found in Abuja and ballot papers during election years, saying that INEC has never cried of inadequate funds to monitor those activities.
It urged the National Assembly to invoke the provisions of section 58(5) of the Constitution to pass the bill into law, through two-thirds majority of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
It assured that Nigerians would stand with the National Assembly as they did when it rejected the nomination of Lauretta Onochie, a partisan politician and a Presidential aide as INEC Commissioner.
