President Muhammadu Buhari has officially written the National Assembly, rejecting the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

The rejection was conveyed in letters read in the two chambers of the National Assembly on Tuesday by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

The President, according to the letter, explained that direct primaries are too expensive. This, he said, will put a financial burden on the country’s resources.

He further noted that conducting direct primary elections will be tasking, explaining that since such mode of election means a large turnout of voters, the move would stretch the security agencies.

The President also fears that with direct primaries, citizens’ rights will be violated while smaller political parties may face marginalisation. He added that it would infringe on the rights of Nigerians to participate in governance and democracy.

“The amendment as proposed is a violation of the underlying spirit of democracy, which is characterised by freedom of choices of which political party membership is a voluntary exercise of the constitutional right of freedom of association,” the statement read in part.