PDP Governors Insist On e-Transmission Of Election Results
Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, declared a firm stand on the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections in 2023. The PDP Governors Forum said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be equipped to ensure a technology-driven election.
The forum in a communiqué issued at the end of its 11th meeting held in Bauchi yesterday said it identified with the need for a 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.
Chairman of the forum and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, said his colleagues, who were moving to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) did so to avoid prosecution for corrupt practices.
The governors warned President Muhammadu Buhariand the APC to desist from converting the Presidential Villa, which belongs to all Nigerians, into the headquarters of their party, where they parade PDP members as new intakes.
In a communiqué signed by Tambuwal, the PDP governors said, “On the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, the governors identified with the need for a 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.”
While requesting INEC to deploy appropriate technologies to ensure that the vote of every Nigerian was counted and made to count, the meeting called on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and 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 election.
According to the governors, “The meeting 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.
“The governors 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 to 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 direct or indirect method of conducting primaries as part of internal democracy in political parties.”
“The governors condemned Mr. President and APC for turning the Presidential Villa, that belongs to all Nigerians, into the new APC headquarters, where coerced PDP members are being paraded at intervals.”
On the economy, the meeting cautioned the APC federal government to collaborate more with state governments to stem the unemployment scourge affecting the youth of Nigeria, through technology and increased production in all fields of endeavour. The governors stated that government should stop paying lip service to the Ease of Doing Business, as foreign direct investment had continued to fall partly due to obstacles placed on foreign companies wishing to invest in Nigeria.
On security of lives and property, in addition to its earlier recommendations, 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 are destroying the Nigerian economy, the educational and social future of our children, and causing significant social upheavals in society.”
They urged all Nigerians of goodwill to take advantage of the on-going registration of voters by INEC to register to vote, and arm themselves with the necessary tools in the struggle to rescue Nigeria from the APC maladministration.
The PDP governors urged the general public, especially, the youth and Twomen, 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.
Others governors, who attended the meeting, were vice chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, and governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu; Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom); Senator Douye Diri (Bayelsa); Samuel Ortom (Benue); Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta); Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu); Nyesom Wike (Rivers); Seyi Makinde (Oyo); Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa); Godwin Obaseki (Edo);Bala Mohammed (Bauchi); Darius Ishaku (Taraba); and Zamfara State Deputy Governor, Mahdi Gusau.
