By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
The United Progressive Party (UPP) has asked the National Assembly to veto President Mohammadu Buhari, for refusing to sign the new 2010 Electoral Act (Amendment).
In a statement issued yesterday by the party National Chairman, UPP also expressed disappointment over the refusal of President to sign the Bill into law, saying “the President has defied all logic to decline assent to the Electoral Bill remitted to him by the National Assembly mainly because of his disagreement with the order of elections which put presidential election last for the 2019 general elections and beyond.
“His withholding assent to this bill smacks of fear of losing the 2019 Presidential Election as well as the fear of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) not benefitting from the bandwagon effect of a possible early victory if the presidential election came first.
“The order of election as contained in the electoral bill will not only guarantee a sustained mass participation in the elections until the presidential election is conducted.
“It will also ensure that candidates of various political parties will win elections essentially on their personal merit and the popularity of the manifesto of their political parties which will be canvassed in the campaigns leading to the elections.
“If the APC and President Buhari were confident that the record of their performance was impressive as they have often claimed, there should be no reason why this fear should be expressed in the manner of withholding assent to a bill that holds very strong promise to deepen and develop our democracy”, the statement said.
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