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Electoral Act Amended Bill: YPP to drag Buhari, NASS to court

2019: Why Buhari will not assent to Electoral Act Amendment Bill – CUPP

The Young Progressive Party (YPP) has threatened to drag President Muhammadu Buhari to court over his refusal to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law, stressing that his action portends danger to the nation’s democratic process.

The YPP  issued this threat in a communique issued   by its National Publicity Secretary, Egbeola Olawale Martins on Wednesday after the party’s 8th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Tuesday, December 18, 2018 at the National Secretariat.

The party also decried that security agencies have denied the party the chance to stage a protest against with holding of assent to the bill by the President. It added that the “NEC on the interim has mandated its legal department to commence the process of filing a suit against the President with the National Assembly joined as a party in the suit in order to compel the former to sign or latter to overrride his veto.”

The party in the communiqué disclosed that the proposed road walk to protest the decline of assent to the 2018 Amended Electoral Act Bill by President Muhammadu Buhari should be postponed owing to the refusal of relevant security agencies i.e. the Nigeria Police and DSS to give the required authorization needed to embark on such lawful protest citing the fragile security situation in Abuja and environs as the major reason for their decision.

The NEC reiterated the danger inherent on account of the President’s refusal to sign the Amended Electoral Act Bill as the decision is believed to be unpatriotic, selfishly motivated and could be a recipe for violence in the 2019 elections if not rescinded considering the many flaws identified in the current Electoral Act.

“It was unanimously agreed by NEC that a tripartite summit of the NEC members, candidates and State Chairmen be held in earnest and in furtherance of this initiative, a seven man committee headed by the National Organizing Secretary was set up to work out the modalities and commence preparations immediately,” the communiqué said.

The NEC also commended the Vice Presidential candidate, Hajia Umma Getso for her impressive performance at the just concluded national debate organized by BON while also calling on all members for more overwhelming support for YPP Presidential candidate, Kingsley Moghalu during the Presidential debate scheduled to hold on January 19, 2019.

“Conclusively, the NEC affirmed that the YPP remains the only credible alternative and the genuine third force Nigerians have been yearning for thereby calling on all patriotic Nigerians not to miss the golden opportunity of enthroning good governance and putting an end to the reign of recycled politicians come 2019 by supporting and voting for all YPP candidates across board,” the communiqué said.

Innocent Odoh, Abuja