Presidential primaries: Parties worry over delegates’ lists as Buhari delays Electoral Act

Ahead of political parties’ primaries to select candidates for the 2023 general elections, there are serious worries over the delegates’ lists of all the parties due to the delay by President Muhammadu Buhari in signing the amendment version of the Electoral Act.

Some chieftains of the major political parties, who spoke to The PUNCH on the issue on Thursday, lamented that the President’s assent to the amended Act would enable parties to know the exact number of delegates that would vote during presidential primaries as statutory delegates were excluded in the existing version of the law.

For the PDP, it’s presidential primary is fixed to hold on May 28 and 29.

APC’s date to elect its presidential candidate is scheduled for May 28 and 29 as well.

However, eight days to the primaries, the parties are not certain whether or not statutory delegates will vote as a result of the President’s delay in signing the amended Electoral Act.

Recall that the Senate and the House of Representatives penultimate Wednesday passed the amendment to the Act to recognize statutory delegates as voters during primaries, congresses and conventions of political parties.

The lawmakers had said that they expect President Buhari to sign the bill without delay.

However, just about one week to the primaries, Buhari is yet to give his assent, leaving political parties in limbo over delegates’ lists.