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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said the National Assembly lacked the temerity to veto President Muhammadu Buhari’s on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill because it is part of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scheme to deny Nigerians free, fair and transparent election in 2023.
He said the only way for Nigerians not to repeat the 2015 and 2019 mistakes of voting the APC-led Federal Government into power is to send them packing in 2023.
Governor Wike made the assertions at the flag-off of Chokocho-Igbodo Road performed by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State in Etche Local Government Area, yesterday.
He recalled how most people did not believe him when he raised concerns that President Buhari would not sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law to give legal impetus to electronic transmission of election results.
“Three weeks ago, I told Nigerians there is a conspiracy not to have a free, fair, transparent election in 2023 and that conspiracy was very clear. And I told Nigerians, Mr. President will not sign the Electoral Act amendment bill,” he said.
Governor Wike said having known the modus operandi, style and strategy of the APC, it was obvious to him and all discerning minds that the clause on direct primary was inserted into the Electoral Act amendment bill as a ploy for the president to refuse assent to the bill.
According to him, the APC members were afraid that if results are transmitted electronically, they would not survive the 2023 general election.
He accused APC governors and their National Assembly members of deceiving Nigerians that they were engaged in battle of supremacy over the issue of direct primary, whereas they had secretly agreed to scuttle the possibility of transmitting election result electronically in 2023.
Governor Wike said, unfortunately, the National Assembly does not have what it takes to veto the president’s refusal to assent to the bill.
According to him, the lawmakers are not interested in protecting the interest of Nigerians and ensure elections are free and fair with the electronic transmission of election results.
The governor maintained that because APC does not consider the interest of Nigerians as priority, its leaders were immersed in crisis jostling for benefits that fan their personal egos.
On the 27.12km Chokocho-Igbodo Road project, Governor Wike said even if the Federal Government had refused to fix the road for years, he was available to solve the problem.
Performing the flag-off, Governor Makinde described Governor Wike as a visionary leader whose pattern of development is creating economic corridor, not only within Rivers State, but linking it up to the neighbouring three states.
He said it should be on record that it was in Etche that the push towards rescuing Nigeria from APC misrule has started in Rivers State.
