Imo: PDP Lauds Senator Onyewuchi Over E- Transmission Of Votes

By Chidi Onyewuchi

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  Imo State branch, is celebrating one of the three Senators from the State for voting in support of the Bill for the Electronic Transmission of Votes.

The Bill was voted upon on Thursday, July 15. 2021. Only 80 Senators, out of 109 of them, voted. The Bill was defeated as those who voted No to it overwhelmingly carried the day.

The result was 52 Votes to 28 Votes. 28 Senators, obviously for political reasons shied away from voting.  Opinion is that they were deliberately absent.

Many people, especially, from the Southern part of the country, had looked forward to a Yes to the Bill. They had hoped a-yes vote would help clean up the electoral system – take care of rigging and manipulation to an extent – and strengthen democracy.

That was not to be as the Senators voted across party and/or  ethnic lines. Most Northern Senators voted for it, and got a public commendation from the office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives for upholding the interest of the North.

The South-east, mostly, disappointed. In Anambra, for example, all the three Senators absented themselves from the Floor of the Senate. Two of them, Senators Uche Ekwunife and Stella Oduah, are of the PDP. The third one, Senator Ifeanyi Uba, is of the YPP.

However, an association, the League of Anambra Professionals, LAP, took an exception to their absence, and queried them, in a letter,  threatening an action against them.

In Imo State, two Senators,  Ezenwa Onyewuchi, PDP and Frank Ibezim, APC, voted. However, the third Senator, Rochas Okorocha, APC, was absent from the Senate that day.

Expectedly,  Onyewuchi voted a Yes to the Bill, while Ibezim voted a No

It is the Yes Ibezim voted that the State PDP is celebrating.

In a statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary of the Party,  Ogubundu Nwadike,  dated July 19, 2021, Imo PDP said it “sees the rejection of the Electronic Transmission of election results by the APC as a testimony to the accusations that APC only hopes on rigging and various other electoral irregularities and malpractices to win elections.”

Part of the Statement titled

Imo PDP Commends Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi For Voting In Support Of Electronic Transmission Of Election Results reads:

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State heartily commends one of its leaders, Distinguished Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi, PDP, representing Imo East (Owerri Zone) Senatorial District in the Senate, for his ebullience in voting in support of electronic transmission of election results during plenary.

“The Party is very satisfied with the way its only Senator in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly made it proud during the voting on the electronic transmission of election results, aligning with the popular will and wish of the people of Imo State and Nigeria that the electoral system should be further advanced in delivery processes and procedure by allowing the transmission of election results electronically.

“This Party finds the action of its Senator as a bold and courageous stand for the unfettered growth and development of democracy in the country, which the PDP stands for at all levels, at this time when its certain that the country is ripe and ready enough for electronic transmission of election results.

“The Party, in spite of the rejection by the All Progressives Congress (APC) of the electoral system which time has come, applauds Senator Onyewuchi for lining behind the wise and progressive minority that exhibited strong belief in and desire for good, free, fair, and credible elections in Nigeria, as the only trusted panacea to the real threats to democracy, national unity, peace and progress.

“The Party sadly notes that while Senator Onyewuchi was displaying boldness and courage on the occasion of voting for or against electronic transmission of election results, the other two APC senators from Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha and Senator Frank Ibezim, respectively chose the ignoble path of one abstaining, and the other voting against it.”