The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has stated that President Muhammadu Buhari will be guided by the security and financial factors for direct primaries before signing the Electoral Act amendment bill into law.
Malami said this on a television programme on Sunday evening.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had stated recently that the direct primary mode would gulp more public funds but this has also been rejected by most governors despite the insistent of the National Assembly that it be signed into law.
Several political parties have also kicked against the direct primary, stating that it is undemocratic.
While refusing to give an opinion on the matter, Malami stated that the President would be guided by the need for justice, legal issues, the security situation in the country and the cost
In his words: “One thing I can tell you is that whatever the decision the President will eventually make arising from the amendment will be a decision that will be based on justice that will be based on the public interest, the security interest and the economic interest of the nation.
“All these things will be factored by the President on arriving at a decision on whether to assent to a bill or not and I do not see this electoral bill being different in terms of the exercise of the discretion of the President. All the necessary material factors both economic, security, judicial, legal and otherwise will naturally come in as far as the discretion of the President is concerned.”
