By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) led government through its Senators may be perfecting plans for massive rigging ahead of 2023.
The leading opposition party said the recent development in the Senate is the reason behind the rejection of electronic transmission of Election results by the electoral umpire.
The party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan on Thursday described the action of the APC senators as an assault on the sensibilities of Nigerians, who looked up to them for improvement in the electoral process in a manner that will engender free, fair and credible process.
“It is outrageous that the APC and its Senators, in their desperate bid to annex the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seek to route a statutorily independent commission to the approval of an individual masquerading in the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC); an agency under executive control in addition to an extra endorsement of the legislature, before conducting elections.
“This action of the APC senators is a direct affront, novel in its recklessness and a defilement of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which clearly conferred operational independence to INEC to conduct elections, free from interferences and regulations from any other agency of government.
“The decision of the APC Senators therefore amounts to a suspension of the 1999 constitution (as amended) which is a recipe for crisis that could derail our democracy and destabilize our nation.
“It is, to say the least, a preparation for mass rigging of elections across Nigeria by the APC, which must be firmly resisted” the party stated.
The party commended the PDP senators as well as other democratically minded senators in the chamber for their resilience in voting for unconditional electronic transmission of results, in line with the wishes and aspiration of Nigerians for free, fair, clean and credible election.
The party commended the efforts being made in the House of Representatives and urged them to return to the chamber tomorrow and save the nation from the machination of the ruling party.
