Peterside urges Buhari to sign Electoral Bill

Elder statesman and President of Anap Foundation, Atedo Peterside, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the re-worked Electoral Act Amendment Bill transmitted to him by the National Assembly weeks ago.

The call follows a protest at the Unity Fountain, Abuja, by the coalition of civil society organisations over the president’s delay in assenting the bill into law.

In a tweet via his official handle, Peterside urged President Buhari to sign the bill into law so that his regime could be credited with the projected electoral reform.

Peterside, who is also the founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank, said President Buhari has not recorded any progress in electoral reforms in the seven years of his tenure.

According to him, “[Muhammadu Buhari] should please just sign this Electoral Bill so we can give him the credit for having done something tangible in the area of electoral reform.

“It has been almost seven years of zero progress in this area under his watch.”

Meanwhile, an aide to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, had earlier confirmed that the President could sign the bill soon.

He, who gave the hint during an interview with Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily said the President could sign the bill “any moment from now.”

There are strong indications that the President will assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, on Friday.

Sources in the presidency said the President had been briefed on the amendments and “should sign latest Friday if nothing else comes up”.