The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors have called on the National Assembly to approve the Electronic transmission of results of elections in the nation’s electoral law, Njenje Media News reports.
In a communique issued after their meeting in Bauchi, Bauchi State on 26th July 2021, the governors said they will continue to identify with the need for free, fair, and credible elections in the country.
According to Channels TV, at the meeting where issues on the state of the nation were deliberated upon, the Forum requested the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), “the only body empowered by the Constitution to conduct elections”, to deploy appropriate technologies necessary to ensure that the votes of every Nigerian is counted and made to count.
The meeting further called on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), especially, the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd (NIGCOMSAT), Telephone Companies (Telcos), and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that universal access and service of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are provided especially in rural, un-served and under-served areas of the country before the 2023 General Elections.
While reviewing the deteriorating state of our democracy, the economic and security situation in the country, the opposition governors “condemned the attempt to foist on all political parties, one method of conducting primaries, that is, by DIRECT METHOD ONLY, through the Electoral Act Amendment Bill”.
They noted that the method is prone to massive rigging, as “evidenced by a situation where President Buhari scored about 15 million votes in the 2018 APC Direct Primaries only 1 score 15 million votes from the entire country in the 2019 General Election”.
The governors advised that political parties should be allowed to decide whether to use the direct or indirect methods of conducting primaries as part of internal democracy in political parties.
Reiterating once again the need for accountability, the governors stressed that there is a need for the NNPC and other revenue-generating agencies of government to strictly abide by the Constitution by remitting all their Revenue less cost of Production into the Federation Account as provided for by 5.162 of the Constitution.
The meeting also condemned, once again, what was termed “the use of underhand tactics to arm-twist some PDP Governors and other stakeholders to join the APC”, adding that the ruling political party has wrecked Nigeria’s economy, turned the nation into a killing field, “and has nothing to offer Nigerians but misery and bad governance”.
The Governors condemned Mr. President and APC for “turning the Presidential Villa, which belongs to all Nigerians, into the new APC headquarters, where coerced PDP members are being paraded at intervals”.
On the economy, the meeting admonished the APC-led Federal Government to collaborate more with State Governments to stem the unemployment scourge affecting the youths of Nigeria, through technology and increased production in all fields of endeavour, reiterating that government should stop paying lip service on the Ease of Doing Business, as foreign direct investments which they say have continued to fall partly due to obstacles placed on foreign companies wishing to invest in Nigeria.
“A glaring example is that of FACEBOOK who insisted on investing in Nigeria rather than Ghana and is being frustrated by regulatory authorities,” the governors stated.
Regarding the security of lives and properties, the PDP Governors said it is time to bring the activities of bandits, kidnappers, and terrorists to an end, through increased use of military equipment.
“Traditional means of conflict resolution and technology for surveillance and the development of the political will to flush them out. Kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism ARE NOT BUSINESS VENTURES as claimed by APC but heinous STATE CRIMES, that is destroying the Nigerian economy, the educational and social future of our children and causing significant social upheavals in society,” the governors admonished.
They enjoined all Nigerians of goodwill to take advantage of the ongoing registration of Voters by INEC to register to vote, thereby arming themselves with the necessary tools in the struggle to “RESCUE NIGERIA from the APC maladministration”.
Youths and women were further implored to use the opportunity of the PDP E-REGISTRATION exercise which will kick off soon, to register as PDP members, while PDP Members should update their membership electronically.
In attendance at the meeting were Gov Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, Gov. Udom Emmanuel, Gov, Sen. Douye Diri, Gov. Samuel Ortom, Gov. Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Gov. Nyesom Wike, Gov. Engr. Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde Gov. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, Gov. Godwin Obaieki, Gov. Bala Mohammed, Gov. Arc Darius Ishaku, and others.
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