CONFUSION AS ELECTORAL ACT ELIMINATE MANY ASPIRANTS FROM THE RACE
Following the inability of Mr President to sign the re-amended version of the Electoral Act into Law, the Peoples Democratic Party has directed that only elected party officials and adhoc delegates will vote in the forth-coming primary election of the party, removing former and sitting elected council Chairmen, councilors, serving members of the House of Assembly and others from the delegates list.
The implication is that all elected government functionaries including Vice President Yemi Osibanjo, Senate President, Dr Ahmed Lawan, Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, all members of the National Assembly, states House of Assembly members, elected council officials from participating in the 2023 general elections either as delegates or aspirants.
While some aspirants believed that they now have lesser number of delegates to deal with, the wider implication is that if one cannot vote as delegate in the coming primaries on account of the Electoral Act, he too cannot participate as aspirant or be voted for.
Recall that most of those seeking elective offices in the 2023 general election are serving political office holders who may be affected by the yet to be signed Electoral Act (as re-amended).
The implication is that if the elected councilors, former and serving members of State assemblies who have been penciled down as delegates cannot vote in the coming primaries, it bears no argument that they too cannot be voted for in the primaries.
With just two weeks to the deadline for conduct of all primaries by the political parties and closure of sales of nomination forms by political parties, many parties may not have candidates for the coming polls.
The only thing that can solve the logjam is for My President to sign the Electoral Act into law so the affected office seekers can participate in the coming polls.
