By Demola Akinyemi
Former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Electoral Bill into law in the interest of the masses and also deepen Nigeria’s democracy, the controversy over direct primaries notwithstanding.
Saraki, who is also former Kwara State governor, said the raging debate on the propriety or otherwise generated by the passage of direct primary for political parties by the National Assembly must not be allowed to scuttle the Electoral Bill.
Speaking with journalists on the sideline of the 9th memoral prayer for his late father, Dr Olusola Saraki, at the family’s Ilofa road residence, GRA, Ilorin, yesterday, Saraki said the important thing was for President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the Electoral Bill for Nigerians to benefit from its other parts.
He said: “Direct primaries 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.
“What is important is for the President to assent to it and enable Nigerians benefit from the other parts.’’
On the performance of the PDP at the recent election in Anambra State where the party came a distant third, Saraki noted that the exercise was a success for Nigeria and democracy.
He described his late father as a selfless leader whose legacies Nigerians should adopt in the light of the country’s sorry situation.
Other dignitaries that graced the event were the Minister for Transportation, State, Gbemisola Saraki; Sen Rafiu Ibrahim; former PDP National Secretary, former Acting National Chairman of PDP, Abubakar Kawu Baraje; former Minister of Transportation, Bio Ibrahim; former speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad; and National Legal Adviser of PDP, Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, among others.
The prayer which commenced by 8:00am was led by the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Shiekh Muhammad Bashir Soliu.
The cleric was supported by the Grand Mukadam of Ilorin, Sheikh Sulaiman Dan-Borno, Sheikh Saanu Sheu, and Imam AbdulRazaq Aduagba.
Dan Borno in his sermon, described late Saraki as a star who benefitted everybody that those in government today held their political rise to him.
He called on the children and beneficiaries of late Saraki’s legacies not to allow his footprints die in vain, and called on all those who cherished his legacies to spread the good works of the late politician.
