Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has asserted that the decision of the national assembly members of by All Progressives Congress (APC) to reject the proposed electronic transmission of election results is tantamount to a coup against Nigerians desirous of a free, fair, and credible election.
The governor also pointed out that President Muhammad Buhari’s failure to prevail on APC members in the National Assembly to support the inclusion of electronic transmission of election results in the amended Electoral Acts has shown he does not intend to leave a legacy of a transparent electoral process.
Governor Wike made his position known during the official presentation of letter of nomination to him as ‘the 2020 Governor of the Year Award’ by the management of the Leadership Media Group at the Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Governor Wike insisted that the current National Assembly capitalised on the seeming political indifference of Nigerians to deliberately vote against the inclusion of electronic transmission of election results in the amended Electoral Act.
The governor, described National Assembly members who voted against transmission of election results electronically as enemies of the country, because their action was detrimental to the growth and consolidation of the country’s democracy.
He words: ‘Those, who voted against e-transmission of results should be ashamed of themselves. They never mean well for this country. If you are a member of the National Assembly and you voted against electronic transmission of results, your children should call you and say daddy, are you well?‘I can’t believe anybody who went to school in this digital period, will vote against electronic transmission of results. What kind of country is this? What kind of National Assembly members do we have?’
Governor Wike declared that the rejection of electronic transmission of election results by APC lawmakers, even when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had affirmed that it has the capacity to electronically transmit results, was tantamount to a coup against the citizens of the country.
He said: ‘It is a coup against the people, and when you plot a coup, you know the consequences of plotting a coup. National Assembly members have plotted coup against Nigerians and Nigerians should hold them responsible. All they are planning is to rig election, because they know Nigerians have abandoned them.’
The State governor said he had expected President Buhari, who had openly declared that he respects former President Goodluck Jonathan, for not compromising the 2015 general elections, to build on the electoral legacy of his predecessor.
‘If Jonathan did not believe in the transparency of the election, he would not have allowed card reader to be used. So, he introduced the card reader as a sitting president, knowing fully well that that could be an albatross to him. But, he said no, I want us to move to the next level.’
Governor Wike stated that, though President Buhari had repeatedly declared that he would ensure the conduct of a free, fair and credible election in 2023, he doubts his (Buhari) sincerity, particularly, for failing to rein in those APC members who voted against electronic transmission of election result.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK