Electronic Transmission: APC Senators Action Is Defilement Of 1999 Constitution – PDP Says
BY EVELYN DADU, ABUJA – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared that the action of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Senate to undermine the nation’s electoral process by refusing to approve the demand by Nigerians across board for electronic transmission of election results without conditionalities is a novel recklessness and a defilement of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The PDP said that the decision of the APC Senators clearly 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.
The party stressed that the 1999 Constitution as amended clearly confers operational independence to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct elections, free from interferences and regulations from any other agency of government.
The PDP therefore expressed shock over the decision of the APC-led Senate to undermine the nation’s electoral process, stressing that the action of the APC senators is an atrocious assault on the sensibilities of Nigerians, who looked up to the Senate for improvement in the nation’s electoral process in a manner that will engender free, fair and credible process.
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan stressed that it is outrageous that the APC and its Senators, in their desperate bid to annex 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.
The PDP said; “It is, to say the least, a preparation for mass rigging of elections across Nigeria by the APC, which must be firmly resisted.
“Our party, standing with Nigerians, however commends 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,” it said.
The PDP however noted the efforts being made in the House of Representatives and urges lawmakers to save the nation from the machination of the APC as being pushed in the Senate.
