Former National Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Buba Galadima, has President Muhammadu Buhari is likely to ‘play some tricks’ even if he (Buhari) later sign the amended electoral bill which currently awaits his assent.
Galadima spoke on Wednesday on a monitored Channels Television programme. He cautioned Nigerians and the National Assembly not be deceived into believing that what will be assented to is in the citizen’s best interest. According to the elder statesman, if Buhari “signs any electoral bill with reservations, it means he has not signed the electoral bill”.
“This bill before Buhari contains the views of the representatives of the people; he has no choice,” Galadima said during the current affairs show.
The former spokesman for the presidential campaign council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said Buhari proved him right by not signing the bill when it was earlier sent. He added that the only reason the president is now willing to sign the bill is that the press and civil society organizations are mounting pressure on him. Be that as it may, Galadima believes that the presidency is playing some tricks.
“They are doing a kind of 419, he will sign the bill and send a list of things he doesn’t like which will secretly be passed for him and we are in it. There will be no change even if he signs because what he gives us with the right hand, he will take from us with the left,” he said.
“For you, he has assented to the amended 2010 Electoral Act but in the real sense of it, he will take whatever gains the people had put into the electoral act.”
Galadima’s comments come a few hours after the signing of the re-worked Electoral Act Amendment Bill scheduled for Wednesday was moved to Friday, February 25. A source close to the Presidency, who had earlier indicated that the President would assent to the bill on Wednesday, confirmed the new date. According to the source, the new date will be honoured by the President.
