APC scuttled Electoral Act Amendment for fear of 2023, PDP claims

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused 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 the alleged design to rig the 2023 general elections.

In a statement on Wednesday by its spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, the opposition claimed the ruling party has been in fear of the amendment to the Electoral Act, due mainly to the provision of electronic transmission of election results.

“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 alleged.

“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 provided 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 walkout only for the APC to orchestrate controversies and set the stage for the withholding of assent by Mr President.”

The main reason for the supposed manipulation of the legislative process, according to the PDP, is to prevent the electronic transmission of results to enable electoral malpractices to keep thriving.

It believes the ruling party has always gone against genuine efforts 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,” the PDP alleged.

“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.”

It, therefore, called on Nigerians, civil society organisations, the international community and others to put appropriate pressure on the APC-led National Assembly to immediately do the needful.

He stated that this was important to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy by ensuring that the basic principles of transparent, credible, free and fair mode of conducting elections were guaranteed and sustained by law.