The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress is averse to free, fair, transparent and credible elections in the country, following his refusal to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill which has been transferred to him by the National Assembly.
The main opposition party said that it is appalling that Buhari who claims to be fighting corruption is condoning and encouraging access to public funds in pursuit of private ambitions, adding that the only way the President can extricate himself is to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill immediately.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, said this while addressing a press conference on Tuesday.
Ologunagba stated that Pressident Buhari’s refusal to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill “is nothing short of a premediated and contrived ‘political abortion’ of the Will of the people as represented by the elected 109 Senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives who unanimously passed the Amendment Bill in the first instance.”
He added that the main opposition party has information about how some individuals with ambitions for presidential, governorship and other elective positions are mounting pressure on President Buhari not to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill to enable them remain longer in office “so as to continue to use public funds to corruptly pursue their personal political interests”.
The PDP, while urging Buhari to practice what he preaches, said the President’s refusal to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill constitutes an obstruction to democratic principle of credible elections.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary said: “It is clear that President Buhari and the APC are erecting road blocks to the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill due mainly to the provision for electronic transmission of election results from the polling units which will eliminate APC’s plans to manipulate the system, militarize the process, alter election results at collation centers and foist itself again into power against the Will of Nigerians.
“Having been rejected by Nigerians because of its colossal failure in governance, especially in the areas of security, economy and fight against corruption, the APC is in mortal fear of electronic transmission of results because it cannot survive the inevitable crushing verdict of the ballot box in the 2023 general elections.
“Less than a year to the 2023 general elections, President Buhari and the APC are at it again! Expectedly, the current anti-people scheme against the Electoral Act Amendment Bill by the APC administration is heightening apprehensions across the country of furtive plots by APC leaders to orchestrate a constitutional impasse that can railroad our democracy into an emergency tenure elongation, induced election postponement, self-succession or worst still an interim government situation.
“This growing tension calls for concern as it has the capacity to spawn widespread restiveness with consequential violence, bloodletting and attendant humanitarian crisis in the country that may affect the entire West Africa subregion, Europe, America and other parts of the world if not addressed.
“This is because Nigerians, especially the youths have become more politically aware and involved, with well-founded and implacable aversion to injustice, oppression, manipulations and undemocratic tendencies as being witnessed under the APC administration. Evidence of this mood became manifest in the EndSARS protest of October 2020.”
He continued: “Our party also has information about how some selfish unelected cabinet ministers, advisers and other top government functionaries with ambitions for presidential, governorship and other elective positions are mounting pressure on President Buhari not to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill to enable them remain longer in office so as to continue to use public funds to corruptly pursue their personal political interests.
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“It is appalling that President Buhari who claims to be fighting corruption is condoning and encouraging this inordinate access to public funds in pursuit of private ambitions. The only way Mr. President can extricate himself is to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill immediately.
“The PDP strongly advise President Buhari and APC leaders to stop toying with the aspiration of Nigerians to entrench democracy in our country through the process of free, fair, transparent and credible elections in 2023.”
The PDP, therefore, called on all Nigerians, the organized labour, civil society, student bodies, professional bodies, trade unions and all lovers of democracy across the world to rise up and impress it upon President Buhari to immediately sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill so as to assure Nigerians and avert an impending crisis in the country.
“Our party also calls on the international community and friends of Nigeria including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Russia, France among others; the European Union (EU), African Union (AU), Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations (UN) to immediately bear diplomatic and political pressure on President Buhari, APC leaders and senior government officials who are intent on derailing our democracy.
“The PDP charges the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stand on the side of democracy, resist the APC and get prepared to use technology that abound to ensure the direct transmission of election results from the polling units in the 2023 elections,” the opposition party added.
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