Electoral Act Amendment: Goodluck Jonathan Blasts National Assembly Lawmakers, Gives Major Advice
- Ex-president Goodluck Jonathan has recommended the removal of Section 84 from the Electoral Act 2022 as amended
- Jonathan called on the National Assembly to desist from making laws that could "choke" political parties across the country
- According to the former president, political parties have their peculiarities and should be allowed to do certain things differently
A former president of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan on Friday, May 27, slammed the National Assembly over its moves to determine how political parties run their affairs using the controversial Section 84 of the Electoral Act.
Vanguard reports that Jonathan while calling for the removal of Section 84 of the Electoral Act as amended said political parties should be allowed to have the leverage of doing certain things differently, as their needs were different.
Source: Depositphotos
The former president made the assertion while speaking at the public presentation of a book authored by Mohammed Wakil, a former minister of state for power on Thursday, May 26.
He urged members of the National Assembly to desist from making laws that could "choke" political parties.
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President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier approved that the Electoral Act 2022, does not permit statutory delegates to participate in the convention and congresses of political parties.
However, the National Assembly had passed a bill to correct the omission.
During the debate on the bill, the deputy Senate president, Ovie Omo-Agege, said that the error was “unintended”.
While the president is yet to assent to the amended document, the political parties are forced to rely only on elected delegates for the congresses.
However, for Jonathan, the political parties are not government parastatals and should be allowed to decide what benefits them.
The former president said:
“The national assembly made alterations to the electoral law, and now only what they call the “elected delegates” are to elect people that would vote.
"Then one day Nigerians will go to the polls and think they are voting for a president."
“But who presented presidential candidates for you? Very few people at the national level, at the state level, at the local districts, at the federal and state constituencies."
“Give political parties the leverage. The key thing is that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is regulating them."
APC reportedly gives Jonathan waiver to contest as court decides ex-president's fate
The fate of former President Goodluck Jonathan would be decided today, two days before the presidential primary of the ruling APC.
The move to include Jonathan in the race according to reports was partly responsible for the much-postponed screening of APC presidential aspirants.
Meanwhile, the presidential primary of the ruling party would is scheduled to hold on Sunday, May 29, 2022.
2023: APC chairman, Adamu meets with Jonathan ahead of crucial primary, details revealed
Emerging reports have confirmed that former President Goodluck Jonathan has once again been wooed by the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) as their possible presidential candidate.
According to the report, the national chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu met with the former president in his Abuja residence in what was said to be a meeting of over four hours.
Legit.ng also gathered that the meeting was coming on the heels of a previous meeting between the former president and Mamman Daura, the influential nephew of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Source: Legit.ng
