President Muhammadu Buhari is under pressure to withhold assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, it was learnt yesterday.
Governors are urging the President to decline assent until the conflict over the direct primary is resolved.
However, leaders of civil society groups, who organised a protest in Abuja, advised the president not to pander to the wishes of governors who opposed the primary model from the onset.
The National Assembly had transmitted the Bill to the president on November 19, following its passage.
The President has until December 19 to either sign or declines assent.
According to a source, there is suspense as “the president has expanded his scope of consultations with stakeholders” before taking a final decision.
The source said senators and House of Representatives members are under pressure from governors to review the Electoral Act and retain the indirect primary.
It was also learnt that the Presidency may seek a review of the Act if the pressure persists.
However, the pressure forced senators to split into different caucuses on the demand of governors and some forces in the presidency have created division among senators.
In one of the caucus meetings, some ranking senators said they can back down on direct primary, if a proviso is added or agreed upon to give the Right of First Refusal to serving senators or members of the House of Representatives.
But members of the House of Representatives were adamant yesterday.
They invited the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to explain the likely cost implication of direct primary.
An unconfirmed report said N500 billion additional cost may be incurred by the commission if the direct primary is adopted.
Although the president had requested comments from INEC on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, the agency has not acted on the president’s request.
Also, it was learnt that some forces in the presidency had been uncomfortable with the cost and security implications of direct primary.
The forces were said to be pushing for a review of the Act by the President.