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Miffed by the continued retainership of their positions in government while actively campaigning for elective posts in 2023 polls, the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) has called on the President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure the immediate resignation of his cabinet members aspiring for electoral offices.
The resolution, which was obtained by thenewsguru.com, was reached after its National Executive Committee meeting held at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja on Thursday.
The resolution was signed by the National Chairman, Dan Nwanyanwu.
The party also chastised the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for their costly nomination fees, which, it said, would cause successful aspirants to loot the National Treasury when they become successful at the polls.
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The ZLP cited section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act (2022), through which the party lamented President Buhari’s continued silence over the refusal of his ministers and other appointees seeking electoral offices to resign from their current positions.
Thenewsguru.com understands the section above provides thus: “No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.”
But it is currently a subject of litigation at the Federal High Court Abuja where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is praying the court to restrain the National Assembly from deleting the section from the Act allegedly at the instance of the President.
The party noted that its NEC condemned the president’s silence on the attitude of appointees in the government, adding that it is absurd as it has never happened in the country’s political history.
The ZLP stressed that the development raises a morality question and expressed belief that there should be moral content in politics. “President Muhammadu Buhari, this is not right,” it chides.
It stated; “The NEC, therefore, calls on the president to direct all those who have indicated interest to run to resign immediately. It shouldn’t be happening under his watch.
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“This is not right. It should not be accepted by you. Act as we know you to direct them to resign their position and go contest the positions they want. This is the position of most Nigerians. It is not right and we should not allow it to be a part of our political culture,” it concluded.
Thenewsguru.com understands that the party’s stand became apparent as the continued stay of those aspiring for political positions in next year’s election is capable of causing confusion and clog the court systems in the aftermath of polls and post – election cases in the tribunals.
Many close watchers of the current trends in the nation’s march to 2023 polls, said such attitude was capable of encouraging future office holders to trample of the letters of the law by whim.
Also, the Court of Appeal, Owerri Division has fixed May 10 for the hearing of the application of the National Assembly on the judgment of the Federal High Court, Umuahia which ordered deletion of Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act.
Buhari sees the section as a contravention of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
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