A group of Civil Society Organizations have called on political parties to collaborate and merge their primary elections to bring down the burden cost imposed by the mandatory direct primaries as contained in the electoral act amendment recently passed by the National Assembly.
The National Assembly had on November 9th adopted the direct primary for political parties in the electoral bill leading to opposition in certain quarters with the cost implication said to likely decide the fate of the provision, as it awaits the assent of President Buhari.
On Thursday, December 2, the House of Representatives agreed to invite the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) Prof Mahmood Yakubu, to clear the air on the cost implication of conducting direct primaries by political parties in the country. In a motion moved by the lawmaker representing Yagba East/Yagba West/Mopa-Muro Federal Constituency of Kogi State, Rep. Leke Abejide which was unanimously endorsed at the session presided over by the Speaker, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, the house called attention to the speculation making the rounds that it would cost over N500billion for political parties to conduct direct primaries ahead of the 2023 general elections.
This is coming days after the President wrote a letter to the INEC chairman seeking the counsel of the electoral umpire on which way to decide. Whether to assent the bill or not. According to INEC, it will need about 17,618 officials to supervise the primaries of the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, if political parties are restricted to direct primaries for the 2023 general elections. With 18 political parties currently registered by the electoral umpire indicating the need more personnel and resources to supervise the exercise for all parties.
In a statement issued on Monday by Ariyo-Dare Atoye, executive director, Adopt A Goal for Development Initiative, and endorsed by Centre for Liberty, Raising New Voices, Youth and Students Advocates for Development Initiative (YSAD), The Nigerian Alliance, The Art and Civics Table and Speak Out Africa Initiative, the CSOs while urging the president to assent to the bill as a legacy gift to the youths, said the alleged 500 billion naira cost of direct primary is overly exaggerated and that there are alternative ways to minimize cost.
The statement reads, “We are not doing the work of INEC, but as stakeholders and partners who have been consistently involved in pushing for the passage and signing of the electoral bill, we owe the public and the nation a duty to dispel the rumour of N500 billion for direct primaries with alternative information,” the CSOs said.
“Our rough Projection on what INEC may be spending only on using NYSC members to monitor the direct primaries system could help to guide the thinking of those who have been deceived or may want to buy into the ridiculous figure in circulation.
“Bear in mind that we do not expect that all the 18 political parties will have candidates for every position in the five categories of the general elections and will be able to conduct direct primaries in all the 8809 wards.
“By our rough estimates: at N30,000 each for 17,628 NYSC monitors, participating in five primaries of 18 political parties, it will cost 47,568,600,000;
“At N20,000 each for 17,628 NYSC monitors, participating in five primaries of 18 political parties, it will cost 31,712,400,000;
“At N10,000 each for 17,628 NYSC monitors, participating in five primaries of 18 political parties, it will cost 15,856,200,000.
“By our observation, the two major parties (PDP & APC) may decide to merge their primaries and reduce it from five to two or three (just like the general elections that will be conducted on two separate dates).
“Also, we expect the other 16 smaller parties to continue their simple process of selecting candidates because of lack of presence in every ward and the logistics of doing so.
“We however concede that INEC is at liberty to deploy one monitor per ward in some cases because there is no major obligation for the commission to perform beyond the constitutional mandate of monitoring party primaries and congresses in this regard.”
“President Muhammadu Buhari should ignore the rumours, scheming and distractions, and immediately sign the electoral bill 2021 as a legacy and birthday gift to Nigerians, especially the youths”.