The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment by the National Assembly as a painful betrayal of Nigerians’ trust, who expressed their overwhelming demand for the electronic transmission of results.
News360 Info reports that PDP spokesman, Ini Ememobong, in a statement on Wednesday, asserted that there is a calculated attempt to create room for electoral manipulation.
Ememobong said the anti-democratic stance of the Senate and the sudden somersault by the House of Representatives on the amendment of the Electoral Act 2022, specifically on the mandatory electronic transmission of election results from the polling units, has violated the foundation of legislative representation.
According to Ememobong, the excuses advanced by the lawmakers are weak, illogical, and insulting to Nigerians’ intelligence.
He further called on the organised labour and Civil Society Organisations to use all lawful means to express their displeasure at the anti-democratic actions of the National Assembly.
The statement read, “They clearly showed disdain for the Nigerian people who voted them into office by openly challenging the supremacy of the voters.
“When lawmakers begin to dilute transparency mechanisms ahead of elections, only one conclusion is rational: there is a calculated attempt to create room for electoral manipulation.
“By this act, the National Assembly has violated the foundation of legislative representation, which is anchored on mirroring the wishes of the majority of their constituents.
“This is a painful betrayal, which the people will certainly repay in equal, if not heavier measures. Furthermore, the restriction of party primaries to Direct and Consensus methods constitutes a blatant intrusion into the internal affairs of political parties.
“The Supreme Court has consistently affirmed that political parties possess autonomy in managing their internal processes. This provision is therefore ultra vires, and the attempt to constrict political parties is condemnable.
“We call on all Nigerians, the organised labour and Civil Society Organisations to use all lawful means to express their displeasure on the anti-democratic actions of our National Assembly, in the hope that they will reconsider their position. This hard-won democracy must not be allowed to suffer decline in the hands of retrogressive politicians masking as legislators.”
