Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and the ruling All Progressives Congress have disagreed on the amendment made by the National Assembly to the Electoral Act, 2022 which gives recognition to statutory delegates in the primaries of political parties.
A source in the leadership of the House, who preferred to be anonymous, said, “I can speak unofficially for our side. The President has received the brief of the Speaker on the good intendment (of the proposal), and his Chief of Staff is in touch with us.”
“Internal (Presidential) Villa politics is the reason for the delay and miscommunication to the President. Malami, Chief of Staff, Vice-President and the party have different views.”
Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu, noted that the 1999 Constitution and parties’ constitutions recognise a category of party members as statutory or automatic delegates.
Kalu said, “Through judicial interaction, we have found out that there is a missing link in Section 84(cool. If left to be as it is, it would disenfranchise people who are supposed to be automatic delegates. That was why in the wisdom of the House, we brought it up for a little restructuring towards the end of that particular Subsection 8.
“We decided to add ‘In addition to statutory delegates already prescribed in the constitution of the party.’ So, if the constitution of your party has prescribed (occupants of) certain offices who have served government or who are still serving government as automatic delegates, they are referred to as statutory delegates.
“Prior to this adjustment, these sets of people were not accommodated. So, Mr President who assented to the law, the Speaker, the Senate President and the spokesman for the House were excluded from participating in the nomination of candidates of the parties.”
