PDP govs agitate for electronic transmission of election results

Governors elected on the platform of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have unequivocally condemned the conditional application of electronic transmission of election results in the country.

The governors at the end of their 11th regular meetings held in Bauchi, on Monday, while reacting on the electoral act amendment bill, identified the need for free, fair and credible elections in the country and called on the National Assembly to entrench Electronic transmission of results of elections in the nation’s electoral jurisprudence.

According to a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the governors further 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.

They further called on the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), especially, the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd (NIGCOMSAT), Telephone Companies (Telcos) and all relevant stakeholders to ensure universal access and service of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) are provided especially in rural, unserved areas of the country before the 2023 General elections.

The meeting also condemned the attempt to foist on all parties one method of conducting primaries, that is, by direct method only, through the electoral act amendment bill saying that it is unacceptable to the PDP.

The governors noted that the method is prone to massive rigging as evidenced by a situation where President Muhammadu Buhari scored about 15 million votes in the 2018 APC direct primaries only to score a total of 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 method of conducting primaries as part of internal democracy in political parties.

The PDP Governors Forum also lambasted President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for turning the presidential villa into a parade ground where defectors into the party are publicly paraded for Nigerians to see describing it as a mockery of democracy.

The governors under the aegis of PDP Governors Forum rose from its 11th regular meeting in Bauchi, on Monday, to declare that, “The governors condemned Mr President and APC for turning the presidential villa, that belongs to all Nigerians, into the new APC quarters, where coerced PDP members are being paraded at intervals.”

The governors reiterated, once again, the need for the NNPC and revenue-generating agencies of government to strictly abide by the constitution by remitting all their revenue less cost of production to the Federation Account as provided for by S.162 of the constitution.

The meeting condemned, once again, the use of underhand tactics in twisting some PDP Governors and other stakeholders to join “the political party that has wrecked Nigeria’s economy, turned into a killing field and has nothing to offer Nigerians but bad governance.”

On the security of lives and properties, the governors stated that “in addition to our earlier recommendations, 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.”

The governors declared that, “there is the need for political will to flush out kidnapping, banditry and terrorism. These are not business ventures as claimed by APC but heinous state crimes, that is destroying the economy, the educational and social future of our children and causing significant social upheavals in society.”

On the economy, the meeting admonished the APC 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.

They lamented that foreign direct investments have continued to fall due to obstacles placed on foreign companies wishing to invest in the country, a glaring example is that of Facebook who insisted on investing in Nigeria rather than Ghana, and is being frustrated by regulatory authorities.

The PDP governors enjoined all Nigerians of goodwill to take advantage of the ongoing registration of Voters by INEC to vote, thereby arming themselves with the necessary tools to rescue Nigeria from the APC maladministration.

“Furthermore, the general public, especially our Youths and women are implored to use the opportunity of the PDP e-registration which will kick off soon, to register as PDP members while PDP Members should update their membership electronically,” the governors advised.

According to Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Chairman of the PDP Governors, the meeting deliberated once again on the nation, reviewed the deteriorating state of the country’s democracy, economic and security situation in the country, the state of the main opposition platform in Nigeria.

The governors then thanked the Chief Host, Sen Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of Bauchi State for providing a conducive atmosphere for the meeting and for the huge difference he has made in the provision of infrastructure and general welfare of Bauchi State as the Pearl of Tourism.

In attendance were: Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Sokoto, Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia; Gov. Udom Emmanuel, Akwa Ibom;
Sen. Douye Diri, Bayelsa ;Gov. Samuel Ortom, Benue; Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu; Nyesom Wike, Rivers; Engr. Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, Oyo.

Others are: Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, Adamawa; Godwin Obaseki, Edo; Gov. Bala Mohammed, Bauchi; Arc Darius Ishaku and Deputy Gov of Zamfara, Mahdi Mohd.

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PDP govs agitate for electronic transmission of election results

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