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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
As more Nigerians question the legality of the amendment of the Electoral Act on electronic transfer of election results by the National Assembly, the National of Association of Seadogs(Pyrates Confraternity) has ask President Muhammadu Buhari to withhold his assent to the bill for the sustenance of democracy.
The NAS Capoon, Mr Abiola Owoaje in statement titled” Democracy And The National Assembly’s Perfidy” said the action of the federal lawmakers is against the grain of the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC).
Owoaje stated that electronic transmission of results would ensure manipulations of election results during manual collation become a thing of the past and sanitize the electoral system.
According to him it is unbelievable that the national assembly would insist on its amendment even when INEC and the Association of Licensed Telcoms Operators in Nigeria (ALTON) have punctured the claims that electronic transmission of results is possible in all parts of the country.
He said President Buhari should demonstrate his avowal for a credible electoral system by withholding his assent to the bill.
The statement reads in part: “The National Assembly by this singular act has stripped INEC of its powers to superintend over transparent elections. It has, in one fell swoop, unduly arrogated powers to itself and NCC to ambush INEC, rein it in, and stifle genuine efforts at improving the nation’s electoral fortunes.
“It is both interesting and reassuring to note that, in the light of this latest dubious shenanigans by the legislative arm of government, INEC through its National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Mr Festus Okoye has once again, and for the umpteenth time, reiterated the electoral umpire’s preparedness for the deployment of electronic transmission of election results, after having tested the process in remote areas during the 2020 Edo governorship election. More recently, the Chairman of Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr Gbenga Adebayo also declared that telecom operators have the capacity to transmit election results electronically in all parts of the country. That the leadership of the National Assembly controlled by the ruling party will stick to its guns, even after this most recent repudiation of its anti-people stance by the electoral body and ALTON beggars belief.
“We call on members of the ruling party in the National Assembly to immediately rescind this retrogressive decision, and desist from giving the impression that it is averse to free, fair and credible elections. Failure to do this leaves us and fellow Nigerians with no other option than to implore President Muhammadu Buhari to live up to his oft-repeated pledge to bequeath the nation with credible and enduring elections and withhold his assent to the obnoxious bill. He should dissociate himself from the unpatriotic plan to further endanger democracy in Nigeria. The President has a glorious opportunity to walk his talk, and help to sustain democracy by placing national interest above base partisan considerations. Nigerians are watching!”
