Signing electoral reform law will worsen Nigeria’s insecurity: Buhari

The president says monitoring and securing the country’s 8,809 wards during primaries would overstretch the security agencies.

Chukwuemeka Ayomide • December 21, 2021

An image of President Muhammadu Buhari voting used to illustrate the story

President Muhammadu Buhari says assenting to the electoral reform law will further worsen Nigeria’s security challenges.

Mr Buhari who said this while refusing to assent to the electoral amendment bill, explained that the country’s security agencies will be overstretched trying to monitor primary elections across all wards in the federation.

“In addition to increased costs identified above, conducting and monitoring primary elections across 8,809 wards will pose huge security challenges as the security agencies will also be overstretched,” the president said.

Further solidifying his decision to reject the bill, Mr Buhari said, “Direct primaries will be open to participation from all and sundry and such large turn-out without effective security coordination will also engender intimidation and disruptions, thereby raising credibility issues for the outcomes of such elections.”

On Monday, Peoples Gazette reported that Mr Buhari in a letter to Senate President Ahmed Lawan, cited “high cost of conducting direct primaries, the security challenge of monitoring the election, violation of citizens’ rights and marginalization of small political parties,” for his refusal to sign the electoral reform bill.

This becomes the second time the president is refusing assent to electoral amendment bill, following the first incident before the 2019 elections.

Femi Adesina, the special adviser on media to Mr Buhari, had once said that electoral reform was not important for elections to be fair under Mr Buhari’s regime.

“So, his reputation as somebody who wants to leave clean elections for Nigeria has already been made whether the electoral act is signed or not. It doesn’t distract from that reputation,” Mr Adesina argued.

Mr Buhari’s comment comes as his administration continues to fail in its duty to safeguard citizens from insurgency and bandits attack.

On Saturday, bandits attacked Kauran Fawa, Marke and Riheya villages in Idasu, Giwa LGA of Kaduna State, killing over 20 persons, with the death toll climbing to 40 on Monday.