HOW THE CIVIL SOCIETIES BLACKMAIL PRESIDENT BUHARI AND THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.

🟢It was in the best interest of democracy, cost implications and the Youth in particular, that the National Assembly declined accent to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021. The blackmail by the morbidly corrupt Evil Societies had started before then. But it intensified thereafter. Funds were rolled out by those who bank roll them. They cried louder. 

🟢On a different level, masquerading as a youth advocate, Samson Itodo, young nouveau elite, is flying first class across the world, in and out of Nigeria to sell their 2023 plans. Ene Obi covers our TV screens with her wig, causing a shortage of artificial hair in Nigeria. She insults our President on national television. Some others mounted a frenzy of bullying, intimidation, threats and  blackmail against the National Assembly and Mr. President.

🟢Their catchphrase is usually, "This National Assembly is a  rubber stamp". It's all blackmail. The National Assembly, an arm of government, elected to protect the interests of Nigerians, should be strong enough to call the bluff of blackmailers. But out of the bolt, the National Assembly succumbed and gave in to the Blackmail. It reversed itself, in order to make the blackmailers happy. 

🟢But I was not perturbed. I knew that President Muhamamadu Buhari will Never give in to blackmailers. He was elected by Nigerians and given the mandate to protect them from the elite political Rottweilers who have formed a cult-like bond to continue to enslave Nigerians. Our President will not stand for it. Even Governor Samuel Ortom knows this. 

🟢Mr. President received INFORMED advice from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Government [MDAs]. The world is going through a Pandemic with dwindling revenue. So, Nigeria's current financial realities cannot accommodate the funding of Samson Itodo's newly acquired nouveau riche lifestyle. 

🟢Again, there are 8,809 wards across the length and breadth of our nation. Conducting Primaries will lead to a massive spike in the cost of conducting primary elections by parties. Indirect Primaries do not guarantee that the money bags who hijack our political space, would not have an easy buy. Our numerous youth with political aspirations will still be priced out.

🟢According to President Buhari, the proposed amendment may also give rise to plethora of litigations based on diverse grounds and issues of Law including but not limited to the fact that the proposed amendment cannot work in retrospect given that the existing constitution of the Parties already registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) permits direct, indirect and consensus primaries.

🟢Mr President adds that the direct implication of institutionalising ONLY direct primaries will increase the already over-monetisation of electoral processes as there will be much more people a contestant needs to reach out to, leading to further alienation of the Nigerian youth with political aspirations.

🟢Direct primaries are also subject or susceptible to manipulation or malpractices as most parties cannot boast of reliable and verified Membership Register or valid means of identification which therefore means non-members can be recruited to vote by wealthy contestants to influence the outcome. We have also seen where, during counting, numbers are jumped to give advantage to the one who paid the official doing the enumeration. 

🟢Limiting political parties and their members on one option with no choice, constitutes a blatant affront to the rights to freedom of association and also, amounts to undue interference in the affairs of political parties, who produced their constitutions in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution. 

🟢Indirect primaries or collegiate elections are part of internationally accepted electoral practices. So also, direct primaries. They are not free from manipulations and do not particularly guarantee the emergence of the will of the people especially in circumstances like ours where it is near impossible to sustain a workable implementation framework or structure thereof.

🟢The Evil Societies are trying to prevail on the National Assembly to override the President’s decision. Some Assembly men and women are succumbing already. My hope is that the majority of the Lawmakers will stand with Mr. President to protect  Nigerians. 

🟢Should those who are in bed with the Evil Societies succeed in their bid, which I doubt, they should remember that the Executive holds the string to the purse for funding such an extravagant system. It will not fund the extravagant lifestyle of unpatriotic nouveau riche greedy Nigerians. 

🟢The political parties should be allowed to freely exercise right of choice in deciding the form of primaries that is uitable for them. This means that the National Assembly must stop succumbing to the dictates of these traders. They don't mean well. 

🟢God bless Nigeria.

Lauretta Onochie. 

@Laurestar.