A leading 2023 Governorship Aspirant in Oyo State who is also the Osi Basorun of Ibadanland, Chief Dr. Azeez Popoola Adeduntan has described the decline of President Muhammadu Buhari to give assent to the recently amended electoral act passed by the National Assembly as failure to help in deepening the Nation internal democracy.
In a release issued by his media office In Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Chief Dr. Adeduntan said the amendments to the bill would guarantee free and fair general elections in 2023.
Adeduntan said “President Buhari’s repeated refusal to sign amendments passed to check God fatherism and imposition, “JAGBA “, MUGUN”, GBAJUE, raises issues of his sincerity of purpose and has the capacity to trigger political unrest and wrangling within the parties which cannot build or help our nascent democracy.
He called on all political parties, other critical stakeholders and Nigerians in general, to rise in the interest of the nation and demand the entrenching of rules and processes that would guarantee the conduct of free, fair and credible elections.
The statement read, “President Buhari has failed again to take advantage of the rare opportunity of the Electoral Amendment Bill to write his name in gold as the President that signed the laws that guaranteed electoral credibility in Nigeria.
The world renowned international cardiovascular surgeon said President Buhari failed to rise to the occasion, being influenced by ambition and the love of the perks of office as well as the wishes of the very few who are bent on discrediting him and continue the devilish indirect primaries.
The Osi Basorun of IBADAN LAND said any democrat who believes in a free, fair, credible and transparent election should show concern just like the earlier Electoral Act was found to have some inadequacies and that was what gave rise for the need for an
amendment.
“But now that the President, in his wisdom, clearly encouraged by few of his friends and associates, has refused to assent to the amendments in 2010 electoral act Which were there before this government came on board, the various individual respected Nigerians were rather very vociferous in their request for a transparent election. And so, if the National Assembly dominated by members of his own party -APC,is trying to amend the law, it is curious that the President will refuse to assent, then you’ll begin to suspect that perhaps there’s more than meets the eye in the refusal.
We are not persuaded by any of the excuses given by the president including security, costs, heating of the polity compared to the advantages inherent in DIRECT Primaries. We have tried indirect and consensus approaches for more than 20years. Both have failed Nigerians.
The worst form of corruption is electoral corruption as it entrenches in power-
looters, fraudulent people, 419ers who have no responsibilities to the electorates nor the nation.
You cannot cost democracy anywhere in the world.
There is no absolute security in the world, it is only relative security that is achievable by any GOVERNMENT anywhere in the world. Absolute security is only available at the grave yard.
He called on the National Assembly to expedite action on the need to veto the bill for the growth of the nation’s democracy.
Long live the Federal republic of Nigeria -Adeduntan concluded.
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