PDP
NASS dominated by APC has murdered democracy- PDP Chairman Secondus
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) , Prince Uche Secondus, has condemned in strongest terms, the position of the National Assembly on Electronic Transmission of Election Results , saying that the action of the nation’s law making body ,dominated by the All Progressive Congress(APC), is tantamount to murdering democracy.
Secondus , who during his remarks on the position of the National Assembly on Friday , said the action of APC in swaying its members against electronic transmission of Election results clearly undermines and shows in unmistaken terms that APC is not ready to face the Nigerian electorates.
The National Assembly (Senate on Thursday and Reps on Friday), had during debate of the amendment of the electronic transmission of election results as provided in Section 52(3) of 2016 Electoral Act, rejected electronic transmission of election results.
The proposed amendment reads in part: “The commission may consider electronic transmission of results provided the national network coverage is adjudged to be adequate and secure by the National Communications Commission.”
Reacting to this position the National Chairman of PDP said: “We have called you this afternoon to join our voices and anger with that of Nigerians and all lovers of democracy in condemning what happened in the National Assembly yesterday Thursday and today Friday.
“How a representative of the people enjoying their mandate blatantly turned their back on them and toed the line of a political party interest that is clearly against the people.
“By the choice of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to put party interest before national interest, they have vividly murdered democracy by the actions of their members in the two chambers of the National Assembly yesterday and today. For us in PDP, today is a Black Friday for democracy.
“It’s an established fact in all democracies world-wide that a free, fair and credible election is the tripod of any democracy. The action of APC in swaying their members against Electronic transmission of Election Results clearly undermines and shows in unmistaken terms that APC is not ready to face the Nigerian electorates.
“It also shows that the dilly-dallying of APC all the while in amending the Electoral Act is deliberate as they never wanted from inception to do anything that will deepen democracy in our country.
“This is notwithstanding that the party is a huge beneficiary of Electoral Reform carried out by the PDP administration.
“We therefore unequivocally condemn and reject the amendment of Electoral Act as passed by the National Assembly and urge President Muhammadu Buhari to fulfil his anti-corruption crusade and see this as corruption and the big scam.
“The PDP will take all necessary legal steps to ensure that this APC scam is not allowed to stand in any way.
We therefore call on all lovers of democracy who see free, fair and transparent election as vital, to stand up against this fraud.
Before I end these remarks gentlemen of the Press, may I commend members of the PDP in the two chambers for standing up for democracy when it mattered. History will be favourable to them.
I like to also urge the Press as vanguard in the democratic struggle to take up their arms against this anti-democratic action.”
