The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus in the House of Representatives has called for the cancellation of last Saturday’s governorship, Senate and State House of Assembly elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.
Chairman of the PDP Caucus in the House, Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), who made the call on Thursday at a press conference in Abuja said what happened in both states was not an election but outright rape of democracy and suppression of the people’s will through coercion.
Hon Chinda called also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to take actions that will stop the slide of the country into anarchy as there is the growing sense of insecurity and injustice which will definitely give birth to the lawlessness that Nigeria as witnessed in the Kogi and Bayelsa polls.
He urged the President to forward an executive bill to the National Assembly, on electoral reforms, which must include the compulsory use of card readers in all polling units as a way of addressing electoral offences worsened under his leadership.
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According to him: “We are therefore calling on all nations that wish Nigeria well to join the USA and immediately consider, the imposition of Visa bans and travel restrictions on all individuals within the Independent Electoral Commission, Security Agencies, and politicians of all political parties who are involved in any form of electoral offences and violence. This will prove to Nigerians that the world is standing with them and deter future occurrences
“Finally, we wish to condole the people who lost their family members in the last week’s show of shame and we call on Nigerian’s to stand fast on democracy and keep sacrificing for us to have a Nigeria that is free and prosperous,” the Caucus said.
Speaking further on the despicable conduct of last Saturday’s elections, Chinda said: “We are therefore joining our voice to the clarion call across the land and even internationally, for the cancellation, in its entirety of the Kogi state elections conducted on November 16, 2019.
“The novel and indeed, criminal conduct of “community voting” in Bayelsa state, a situation where political entrepreneurs with the active connivance of security agencies force people to vote for preferred candidates offends the fundamental human rights of people to choice as well as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which all security agents, President Muhammadu Buhari and INEC officials unclose swore to protect. This by any stretch of the imagination, cannot be regarded, as an election. There is, therefore, no reason to allow the Bayelsa elections to stand. These elections make Nigeria a laughing stock!!”.