The first indication that those bent on defeating the clause on direct primary in the revised Electoral Reform Bill, which is currently awaiting presidential assent, were still working hard emerged last Thursday when the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, IgbereTV reports.
The Committee had summoned the INEC boss to clarify the N500 billion being touted as the sum required for political parties to conduct the direct primary, which its proponents think will give power to members to choose their leaders as opposed to the indirect primary, which relies heavily on delegates, who are more open to control by power blocs and interests, especially state governors who control delegates in their states and determine the texture of local politics by exercising full control over state electoral commissions.
Held behind closed doors, the meeting, which was based on a resolution passed on a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by the Chairman of the House Committee on Customs and Excise, Leke Abejide, laid speculations over the N500 billion to rest.
Although Yakubu said after the meeting that INEC did not “come up with any cost for the conduct of direct primaries per political party,” the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, Mukhtar Batera, explained that the INEC chairman told them that only political parties had the responsibility to fund the primaries. Batera said, “In our discussions with the INEC chairman, we wanted to know his requirements for the 2023 elections, as well as the cost of direct or indirect primaries.
“On the primaries, when we discussed with him, he specifically told us that INEC’s role in direct or indirect primaries is just minimal. He said party primaries are the responsibility of political parties and not INEC.
“The INEC chairman told us that only the political parties have the responsibility to fund of direct primaries.”
