From Yakubu Busari, Jos
Hon Bobdike Alaku
The National Secretary of the Middle Belt Indigenous Tribes of North-Central Nigeria, Hon Bobdike Alaku has called on President Muhammadu Buhari as a beneficiary of the direct primary principle in the 2015 and 2019 party elections to sign the direct primary clause in the Electoral Act Amendment government as a mark of sincerity.
Hon Alaku in an interview with our medium in Jos on the long delay in giving Presidential assent to electoral law said, “it was quite disturbing that in politics the government has been insincere in this aspect of the electoral law with all the excuses they have been giving since 2015 up till now even when the President himself was a beneficiary of the direct and indirect primaries principles when he came in 2015 through 2019 when he won elections.
According to him, PMB’s s secured his second tenure through the direct primaries so, ” why is he talking that the direct primaries is most costly, when he himself knows from experience of both principles that the indirect is for the higher bidders where party big-wigs use money to hijack the delegates.”
Hon Bobdike explained further that the direct primaries is the best option which is just like that of the 1993 zero party primaries, called option A4 ran by the country at that time.
He called on Buhari to make “this singular act of signing the Act as a sign of true leadership as the credit would go back to him and he would be remembered by Nigerians for the feat.”
He faulted the Attorney General of the Federation and Minster of Justice Abubakar Malami in his advice that cost and security should determine what should be included in the Electoral Act Amendment,”even when INEC has agreed that they have the potential capacity to transmit results throughout 744 local governments nationwide,” adding that the,” 200 LGAs that don’t have networks, which is 40 per cent of the total can be serviced before end of 2022.”
The Secretary General also commended the National President of the forum Dr Bitrus Pogu for “his visionary leadership and concern to ensure the safety of everyone in the group and the Middle Belt.
He described Middle Belt people as the most peace loving people “with a lot of enemies taking advantage of their hospitality to encroach into their ancestral farmlands and unleash attack leading to killings and maiming,” and called for cessation to hostilities in the new year, 2022.
