Controversy over direct primaries must not scuttle Electoral Bill – Saraki

A former Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has warned that the debate on the propriety or otherwise generated by the decision of the National Assembly to okay direct primary for political parties must not be allowed to scuttle the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

Saraki spoke with newsmen yesterday at the sideline of the 9th memoral prayer for his late father, Dr Olusola Saraki, held at the family’s Ilofa road residence, GRA, Ilorin.

He asked President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the Bill for Nigerians to benefit from its other parts.

“Direct primary is best for political parties if properly done. But I am sure Nigerians are not prepared for it because there is still a lot of work to be done. But now the National Assembly has passed it; we should make the best out of the situation rather than allowing the controversy of one item to throw away the other good parts of the bill,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has challenged youths in his constituency to use the opportunity provided by the Electoral Act amendment to participate fully in the democratic process.

He gave the challenge yesterday while speaking at a leadership Boot Camp he organised for the youths in his Surulere 1 constituency.

Gbajabiamila in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, said the programme was organised to prepare Surulere youths against future leadership challenges.