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A former Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, has threatened to lead a protest against the government should President Muhammadu Buhari fail to assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
Melaye stated this during an interview on a Channels TV programme, which was posted on Facebook on Tuesday.
He stated that the protest would be to demand the restoration of Nigeria’s democracy via the electoral processes adding that Nigeria was not a ‘Banana Republic’.
He said, “If Buhari refuses to sign the electoral bill, he will know that Nigeria is not a Banana Republic. I will lead Nigerians to the streets for protest. A kind of protest you have not seen before and I am not afraid of anybody. This country belongs to all of us.
“Everything needed to revive this country is dependent on our electoral processes, once we don’t get that right, everything will continue to go wrong.
The former Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, also said he supports for the direct primary process included in the Electoral Bill as opposed to the indirect from.
“I am for direct primary because democracy is supposed to be a government of the people by the people and for the people. Asking delegates to determine the faith of millions of people, is not democracy,” Melaye said.
The PUNCH had reported that the President had in a communication read by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, at plenary on Tuesday, cited the compulsory direct primary provisions contained in the proposed legislation as a reason for withholding his assent to the Bill.
Buhari had said the direct primary arrangement could worsen the insecurity situation across the country if approved.
He also said it could be a cause for confusion in the various political parties.
