Conclude Electoral Act Amendment Bill matters now for credible elections, PDP governors advise NASS

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has urged the National Assembly to conclude outstanding issues challenging the Electoral Act Amendment Bill now so as to ensure credible elections in 2023.

It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari rejected assenting to the final document as passed by the joint chambers of the National Assembly citing contents in the bill like the mandatory direct primary for all political parties, as reason.

President Buhari has since returned the bill to the lawmakers who are .now faced with the choice of further amending it by expunging the contentious clauses or veto the President’s decision.

However, rising from its regular meeting crucial, Monday, at the Rivers State Government House, Port Harcourt, the first in the new year, the PDP governors urged the  National Assembly ‘to quickly conclude deliberations on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill either by overriding Mr President’s veto or deleting areas of complaints.

“The meeting advised that the option of sustaining Mr. President’s veto would lead to a quicker resolution and would deny Mr President the opportunity to once again truncate a reformed Electoral jurisprudence for Nigeria. An early concluded Electoral Act is vital for credible elections,” read part of a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting.

Meanwhile, National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu has urged Nigerians to keep faith with the party that is poised to produce the next president of the country.

He maintained that the current inept rule of the All Progressive Congress (APC) led Federal Government, which has pulled the country backwards economically has to be changed. 

Senator Ayu gave the assurance at the gala night event hosted by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for PDP governors at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Port Harcourt on Sunday night.

The PDP national chairman emphasised that the APC leadership has been unable to harness the rich diversity of Nigerians into better fortunes that should strengthen the bond of brotherhood and promote peaceful coexistence.

“Unfortunately, a very poor leadership has presented Nigeria at home and abroad as an extremely divided country.

“We must change this narrative and the only way to change this narrative and harness not just the culture, but the environment and the richness therein, is to back the Peoples Democratic Party which is determined to produce a new leadership for this country.”

Senator Ayu also enthused that Nigeria will bounce back again with the PDP at the saddle because the project of rescuing the country and making it great is realisable.

The PDP national chairman stated that the expected leadership they will offer at the national level will change the negative characteristics associated with the APC that have been used to deepen the divide among Nigerians in the country.

“The PDP will definitely produce the next president and take the country back to the days when we were in power, when we cleared all foreign debts, when we were developing this country at reasonable speed.

“When we became the richest country on the African continent. But today we are the poverty capital of the world. All that will change.”

In his welcome address, Governor Wike  said the gala night event is a pride to the usual meeting of PDP governors that is rotational.

He stated that such meetings have always been used to discuss salient issues of economy, political, and others that bothers on how to chart a virile Nigerian society.

“It has been ritual for PDP governors to gather and meet and discuss about the welfare of the party. And this has been rotating from one state to the other.”

On his part, the Chairman of PDP Governors Forum and Governor of Sokoto, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal said the PDP governors and other party leaders are already working in synergy towards rebuilding the party.

He said the focus is to rescue Nigeria, which will also require all Nigerians of goodwill to join force with the PDP to achieve that goal.

“All Nigerians of goodwill who believe in this country, who believe Nigeria is going the wrong direction, ought to join us.

“And like I always say, there are two divides in Nigeria today. Those who are happy with the confusion because they are benefiting from what is happening at the centre, and those of us who are truly patriotic enough to disagree with the way our country is being governed and being run.”

“I appeal and beseech every Nigerian, even those in APC that are patriotic enough to join hands with us as we continue to march towards rescuing Nigeria together.

“I believe it is our responsibility to do so, not for ourselves but for our younger ones and generation unborn.”

State Governors present at the gala night included; Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Mohammed Bala (Bauchi), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).

Also in attendance were the Deputy Governors of Rivers and Zamfara, Dr Ipalibo Harry-Banigo and Mahdi Aliyu Mohammed Gusau; PDP national secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu and several other dignitaries.

COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY THE PDP GOVERNORS’ FORUM AT THE END OF THEIR MEETING IN PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE, JANUARY 17, 2022.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum held its regular meeting crucial to the sustenance of our Democracy on Monday, 17th January, 2022, at the Rivers State Government House, Port Harcourt, the first in the new year.  The meeting once again reviewed the state of the States, the state of the nation and THE PDP and issued the following Communiqué:

1.  The PDP Governors congratulated the entire PDP family for conducting a smooth and credible National Convention that led to the emergence of the highly acclaimed Senator Dr. Iyorchia Ayu-led National Executive Committee and commended the new PDP NWC for hitting the ground running with respect to repositioning the PDP into a credible vehicle for RESCUING and REBUILDING Nigeria which has been battered by bad economy, insecurity, unemployment and other social ills  by the incompetent and inept APC Administration.

2.  The PDP Governors requested the National Assembly to quickly conclude deliberations on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill either by overriding Mr President’s veto or deleting areas of complaints. The meeting advised that the option of sustaining Mr President’s veto would lead to a quicker resolution and would deny Mr President the opportunity to once again truncate a reformed Electoral jurisprudence for Nigeria. An early concluded Electoral Act is vital for credible elections.

3.   The meeting lamented the continued state of insecurity in the country, the persistent and ceaseless flow of Nigerians’ blood on a daily basis in many parts of Nigeria, the near collapse of the security situation in Nigeria. The strategies to confront terrorists, kidnappers, bandits and other criminals is still a major problem of the APC administration.

4.  The meeting expressed regrets that Mr President is unwilling, from his recent comments discountenancing the proposals for state policing, to participate in reviewing the structural problems of tackling insecurity in Nigeria and urges Mr President to reconsider his position and consider decentralisation and restructuring of the security architecture as the most viable solution, together with proper arming, funding and training requirements for Security Agencies.

5. The Nigerian Economy has continued to deteriorate and Nigerians have become numb and accustomed to bad economic news as exemplified by the inconsistent and differential exchange rate regime, high interest rates, unsustainable unemployment figures and borrowing spree some of which have not been applied to important projects, and other bad economic indicators. In particular, it is clear that the APC Government is a massive failure when compared with the records of PDP in government. The PDP handed over a $550 billion economy (the largest in Africa), but under APC, Nigeria is the Poverty Capital of the world.  In 2015, under PDP, the exchange rate was N198 per Dollar, it is now under APC almost N500 to a Dollar; In 2015, unemployment rate was 7.3% under PDP, it is now 33%, one of the highest in the world under APC; In 2015, the Pump price of Petroleum was N87 per litre, it is  now N165 per litre and climbing under APC. Debt Servicing now under APC takes over 98% of the Federal budget. The tales of woe is endless.

6. The PDP Governors noted that the management of our Oil and Gas resources, the administration of Federation Account remittances have remained opaque, confusing and non – transparent. In addition, the transition to NNPC Ltd under the Petroleum Industry Act has not been properly streamlined to ensure that the interests of all the tiers of Government are protected, consistent with the 1999 Constitution.

7.  The meeting urged eligible Nigerians of all walks of life, particularly the Youths, to register en masse with INEC to exercise their franchise in the 2023 general elections. It further noted that the next election is a very consequential election that should be used to end the dominance of very youth unfriendly APC Government; a government that had the arrogance to deny Nigerian youths of the use of TWITTER, a business friendly tool for the young, for over a year. The youths should empower themselves to determine who leads them.

8.  The PDP Governors congratulated the Chief Host, His Excellency, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, for the very high standards of hosting and for the great leadership performance he has entrenched in Rivers State.

9.  The PDP Governors wished Nigerians and PDP Members a happy new Year.

In attendance are:

Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, CFR- Sokoto State  – Chairman

Gov. Udom Emmanuel  – Akwa Ibom State  – Member

Gov. Sen. Douye Diri  – Bayelsa State  – Member

Gov. Samuel Ortom -Benue State -Member

Gov. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa  – Delta State  – Member

Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi  – Enugu State  – Member

Gov. Nyesom Wike, CON  – Rivers State  – Member

Gov. Engr. Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde  – Oyo State  – Member

Gov. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri  -Adamawa State -Member

Gov. Bala Mohammed -Bauchi State  – Member