Action of APC senators a defilement of the 1999 Constitution – PDP : Electronic Transmission

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has described the decisions of the All Progressives Congress, APC, senators to vote against electronic transmission of results as a defilement of the 1999 Constitution.

On Thursday, 52 APC senators voted no to electronic transmission of election results.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the main opposition party said that the “action of the APC senators is a direct affront, novel in its recklessness and a defilement of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which clearly conferred operational independence to INEC to conduct elections, free from interferences and regulations from any other agency of government.”

The statement read:

“Electronic Transmission: @OfficialAPCNg Senators in A Haste to Murder Our Democracy, Says PDP

“The PDP and indeed majority of Nigerians are shocked over the decision of the APC-led Senate to undermine our electoral process by refusing to approve the demand by Nigerians across board for electronic transmission of election results without conditionalities.

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“The action of the @OfficialAPCNg senators is an atrocious assault on the sensibilities of Nigerians, who looked up to the @NGRSenate for improvement in our electoral process in a manner that will engender free, fair and credible process.

“It is outrageous that the @OfficialAPCNg and its Senators, in their desperate bid to annex the @inecnigeria 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.

“This action of the @OfficialAPCNg senators is a direct affront, novel in its recklessness and a defilement of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which clearly conferred operational independence to @inecnigeria to conduct elections, free from interferences and regulations from any other agency of government.

“The decision of the @OfficialAPCNg Senators, therefore, amounts to a suspension of the 1999 constitution (as amended) which is a recipe for the crisis that could derail our democracy and destabilize our nation. It is, to say the least, preparation for mass rigging of elections across Nigeria by the @OfficialAPCNg, which must be firmly resisted.

“Our party, standing with Nigerians, however, commends the @OfficialPDPNig 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 a free, fair, clean and credible election.

“The @OfficialPDPNig however notes the efforts being made in the House of Representatives and urges lawmakers to return to the chamber tomorrow and save our nation from the machination of the @OfficialAPCNg as being pushed in the Senate.”