By Hajara Umar Nataala
The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, has officially received a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari stating his reasons for not giving his assent. The letter which was exclusively obtained by THISDAY News stated the reasons for the refusal. In Summary, the reasons he gave for refusing the assent have majorly to do with the current prevailing situation in the country.
He stated that the high cost of conducting direct primaries, the security challenge of monitoring the election, the potential violation of citizens’ rights during that time, and the marginalization of small political parties are amongst the reasons for him rejecting the bill.
President Buhari cited that he had received informed advice from relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of the Government. He had also carefully reviewed the Bill in light of the current realities prevalent in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and given the circumstances, it would be better to allow each political party to determine its mode of selecting candidates for election.
Source: Tobi Soniyi, Thisdaylive News