[News] I will sign electoral bill if NASS includes consensus candidates and indirect primaries ? Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has explained why he didn’t sign the electoral bill which was passed in the national assembly in 2021.

The President in an interview on Channels Television, expressed readiness to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill if the necessary adjustments are made.

Buhari said NASS should add consensus candidates, indirect primary options to the mode of selecting a candidate for an election, as against the initial direct mode as the only option to conduct primaries by political parties.

He said;

“All I said (is that) there should be options. We must not insist that it has to be direct; it should be consensus and indirect.”

When asked if he would sign if the lawmakers effect the change in that direction, the President said;

“Yes, I will! I will sign.

“There should be options, you can’t dictate to people and say you are doing democracy. Give them other options so they can make a choice.”