Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to sign the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 into law, Senator Dino Melaye, who represented Kogi Central in the 8th National Assembly, has threatened to organize a protest against the undemocratic decision. ayokinews.com reports
Recall that the president, in a letter addressed to the Senate on Monday, rejected the bill that the National Assembly had passed a month ago.
The bill’s provision of direct primary elections prompted President Buhari to withhold his assent.
Explaining his reason for rejecting the bill, President Buhari cited insecurity and the exorbitant cost of executing the direct primary.
In an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday, Dino Melaye promised to take Nigerians to the streets to demand the restoration of democracy in the country’s electoral processes.
Electoral Act: President Buhari Rejects Direct Primary, Surrenders To APC Governors
He believes that the best way to end bad governance is to establish a proper election system that includes all Nigerians, emphasizing that “asking delegates to evaluate the religion of millions of people is not democracy.”
Dino added, “If Buhari refuses to sign the electoral bill, he will know that Nigeria is not a Banana Republic. I will lead Nigerians to the streets for protest. A kind of protest you have not seen before and I am not afraid of anybody. This country belongs to all of us.”
“Everything needed to revive this country is dependent on our electoral processes, once we don’t get that right, everything will continue to go wrong.”
“I am for direct primary because democracy is supposed to be a government of the people by the people and for the people. Asking delegates to determine the faith of millions of people, is not democracy”.
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