BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – The National Assembly (NASS) Caucus of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has thrown its weight behind the Southern Governors’ angling for power shift come 2023.
Also for the Caucus, there should be no going back on the issues of electronic transmission of election results and state police.
Briefing the media in Abuja, Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who spoke for the Caucus, said the alleged move to step down electronic transmission of results from the Electoral Act amendment report is “unpatriotic and mischievous.”
Fully endorsing the governors’ resolutions under the aegis of the Southern Governors’ Forum (SGF), Senator Abaribe said: “After due consideration and extensive deliberations on political and security situation in the country, the Joint PDP National Assembly caucus unanimously upholds the resolutions of the Southern Governors’ Forum (SGF) in vehemently rejecting the clandestine moves to manipulate and alter the Electoral Act to remove the electronic transmission of results from the law.”
He cautioned that tampering with the vital component, capable of guaranteeing transparency and credibility in the electoral process, would subvert the democratic process; institutionalize rigging; bastardize; and frustrate genuine efforts towards credible elections.
According to the Caucus; “Electronic transmission of results is the only way to eliminate malpractice and manipulations associated with manual collation of results, including alteration, switching and disappearance of election materials while on transit to various collation centers.
“The Joint PDP caucus is already taking very strong and uncompromising steps to ensure that the provision guaranteeing the electronic transmission of result is not tampered with in any form whatsoever.”
Addressing the country’s worrying security challenges, the Joint PDP Caucus reaffirm its “unwavering support for the establishment of state police as well as other measures adopted by the governors to ensure the security of lives and property in the respective states, including those curtailing unauthorized movements and occupation of forest areas.
“We also affirm the demands by governors, that as chief security Officers in the states, they must be duly informed before any security institution undertakes any operation in their states.
“The Joint PDP Caucus, also lends full support to the demand by our governors that deductions from the Federation Account for the Nigeria Police Security Trust Fund should be distributed among the states and Federal Government to combat security challenges.
“These resolutions by the governors, regarding security does not offend but rather reinforce genuine efforts towards guaranteeing adequate security of lives and property given the current situation in our country as a federation.
“We call on governors, lawmakers and critical stakeholders from other regions to support these patriotic initiatives of the Southern Governors’ Forum in the interest of security of lives and property in our dear nation.
Furthermore, the Joint Caucus adopted the Governors’ stand in rejecting the three (3) per cent share of the oil revenue to the host community as passed by the Senate and supported the five (5) per cent as passed by the House of Representatives.
To buttress their position, Senator Abaribe said; “As a Joint Caucus, we have set up very strong machinery to ensure that, in the interest of justice and fairness, the percentage of share of the oil revenue to the host community does not fall below expectation.”
The Senate Minority Leader assured that the Joint PDP Caucus is happy the SGF for their unwavering “patriotic stand in always proffering solutions on critical issues bordering on the security, stability, as well as economic and political well-being of our dear nation at all times.”
