By Francis Sadhere, Warri
Former governorship aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Delta state, Chief Sunny Onuesoke yesterday described the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to withhold assent to the 2010 Electoral Act amendment bill sent to him by the National Assembly, as mischievous.
Onuesoke who spoke to our correspondent in Warri, Delta state said that President Buhari does not want to sign the bill because he wants to manipulate the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to his favour in the next general election coming in 2019.
Onuesoke who is also the Director of Special Projects under the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, added that President Buhari wants an electoral system that he can manipulate to his favour. He said the plans of Buhari to have a grip of that INEC will be thwarted by Nigerians.
He said that President Buhari has lost touch with reality and that Buhari still wants to operate the old system of governance where the President calls all the shots in the country while the majority of Nigerians only sit and look. He added that this time around Nigerians will speak with one voice.
Onuesoke pointed out that President Buhari’s explanation that the amendment was going to make the INEC lose its power does hold hold water saying that the National Assembly has the right to amend any law in the constitution.
“Buhari wants to have control over INEC and this is why he wants the President election to come first. He knows that once he wins the election he can then have a strong grip on INEC and he will manipulate INEC to his favour. So the President knows what he is doing. But we the people of Nigeria today are saying no. We are together with the National Assembly on this one. Buhari must accent to this bill,” Onuesoke said.
He therefore called on the National Assembly to use their veto power to make the bill becomes law just as he reminded Buhari not to play God in handling the affairs of the country.
“The reasons President Buhari gave Nigerians for not signing to the electoral bill into law did not bold water. I said this because whether the National Assembly changed the format of elections in the country or not, INEC will still be in control of the electoral process in the country.
On the recent kidnap of school girls in Dapchi, and the refusal of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to obey the directive of the President, Onuesoke called on President Buhari to resign his position as the president saying that President Buhari is weak in taking decisions that affects Nigerians.
He said cattle ranching is the only solution to solve the issue of herdsmen killings going on all over the country, adding that herdsmen should learn the latest technology of how they can take care of their cattle.
