Why APC Scuttled Electoral Act Amendment – PDP

The main opposition Party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, of scuttling the Electoral Act Amendment, 2021, for fear of losing the General Election in 2023.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP said some aspects of the Amendment Act will not allow the APC to rig the Election in 2023 as it has always done.

It accused the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari of non commitment to the Amendment of the Electoral Act just to make sure that credible elections are not held.

“‘It is apparent that the APC and the Buhari Presidency were never committed to the Amendment of the Electoral Act to ensure credible elections and as such triggered the controversy of the mode of Primaries by political parties as a camouflage to scuttle the entire Amendment Bill including provisions for electronic transmission of results among others.”

The statement said the APC has always been afraid of electronic transmission of results because it would not allow the party to manipulate the results. However, the PDP told the APC, that Nigerians are determined to ho the electronic transmission of results in 2023.

President Buhari had, given a number of reasons in a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, refused to sign the Amendment Act.

On Tuesday, in reaction to the President’s refusal, the Senate held a closed door session. The expectation was that it was going to override the President’s refusal, but that did not happen.

Following is the full text of PDP’s statement.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accuses the All Progressives Congress (APC) of scuttling the signing of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill because some key provisions in the Bill will not allow its grand design to rig the 2023 general elections.

“It is instructive to recall that the APC has been in trepidation of the amendment to the Electoral Act, due mainly to the provision of electronic transmission of election results, which will completely eliminate APC’s manipulations and alteration of results at elections.

“It is apparent that the APC and the Buhari Presidency were never committed to the amendment of the Electoral Act to ensure credible elections and as such triggered the controversy of the mode of primaries by political parties as a camouflage to scuttle the entire Amendment Bill including provisions for electronic transmission of results among others.

“It is imperative to remind Nigerians of how the APC, in collusion with their leaders in the National Assembly fought hard to stop the electronic transmission of results provision in the Bill, but were resisted by Nigerians supported by the courageous action of the PDP Caucus in the House of Representatives which staged a walk out only for the APC to orchestrate controversies and set the stage for the withholding of assent by Mr. President.

“The main reason for this manipulation of the legislative process by the APC, is to prevent the electronic transmission of results so that it can continue in its culture of rigging and electoral impunities including alteration of results at collation, ballot box snatching, destruction of data among others; just to cling to power against the will of Nigerians.

“Such is consistent with the APC’s well-known machination against every genuine effort to instill credible, transparent, free and fair elections in Nigeria in the last six years. The APC thrives in electoral scam, duplicity, underhand dealings, violence and political brigandage, all in their heinous script to put Nigerians under perpetual bondage.

“Having been rejected for its failures and having also self-decimated its structure across the country, the APC has completely lost the capacity and goodwill for electoral contest and as such seeks every means to subvert any process that can guarantee credible elections in 2023.

“The subversion of the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill by the APC further validates the fact that the APC is averse to the aspiration of Nigerians and does not believe in democratic principles of credible elections.

“Our party therefore calls on all Nigerians, Civil Society Organizations, the International Community and all lovers of democracy across the world to rise up and put appropriate pressure on the APC-led National Assembly to immediately do the needful so as to safeguard our democracy by ensuring that the basic principles of transparent, credible, free and fair mode of conducting elections are guaranteed and sustained by law.

“The PDP cautions the APC to note that no matter their machination, Nigerians are determined to pursue the electronic transmission of election results to its logical conclusion and that there is no going back in their resolve to vote out the APC in 2023.”