Electoral Act: Direct Primaries won’t give room for APC manipulation – NNPP

MICHAEL-AZEEZ OGUNSIJI, Abeokuta

 

New Nigeria Peoples Party(NNPP) has accused the Presidency and ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) of refusing to sign the electoral bill due to its electoral manipulations.

The party chairman in Ogun State, Comrade Oginni Olaposi while addressing party members on Tuesday.

Oginni who said the presidency and state governors are afraid of returning power to the people through the direct primaries, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the electoral amendment bill of transmitting election results electronically.

He said doing so will prove President Buhari’s ingenuity of reforming the electoral system before leaving office.

He commended the Ogun state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun for the repair of Sango-Ota dilapidated road, saying NNPP has remained the only opposition political party in Ogun state that has been able to put the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led administration on it toes.

Oginni said the party has been playing major opposition role through constructive criticism of the Abiodun’s APC-led government.

While reading out the achievements of the party in one year, the NNPP Chairman said the party won many wards during the last Local Government election held in the state, but was robbed due to electoral manipulation of the State electoral body, OGSIEC.

He also said the party was actively involved in advocating for positive change that will impact the lives of the people of the state.

Oginni stressed that the NNPP played a major role by protesting and calling for the rehabilitation of Lafenwa-Ayetoro road after the inferno that sparked controversy weeks back.

He said, “Within one year, I with all my team have been able to shake Ogun state. The state was shook in the last election. The presence of this party was felt in the LG election.

“We won in several local government, but the state Electoral body robbed us. We were unable to subdue the power of the government in power.

“We have used the LG election as a litmus test to look at the mentality of the people of Ogun state whether they are yearning and looking for true good governance.

“And the good people of Ogun state had demonstrated that they really want a new Ogun state and new Nigeria; and they are ready to vote for New Nigeria People’s Party.

“We are ready to continue to play our role as opposition constructively. We are putting them on track wherever the governor is derailing.”

Oginni however expressed readiness of the party to take over in 2023.

He added, “It is certain that NNPP is going to win in most of the polling units come 2023.

“It is going to be a new dawn. APC has nothing to sell again for the people of the state.

“We have tried to identify areas where they are lacking and where they are failing.

“NNPP is going to do better, NNPP will be a responsive and looking for what we going to do to our people. We are going to be responsible and responsive.”

In his remarks, the NNPP National Chairman, Borniface Aniebonam commended the Oginni-led administration for its relentless efforts in ensuring the people get the dividends of democracy.

The National Chairman who was represented by National Publicity secretary, Bar. Fred Akokhia noted that Oginni has done “marvelously” well in preaching the ideology of the party to the people.

Aniebonam however expressed readiness of the party to provide the country with the best leadership.

He added, “We want to give this country a leadership that actually shows what we believe in and a leadership that can make Nigerians know we can have a new Nigeria.

“Nigerians want a better place to live in, Nigerians want an economy that will be so buoyant and also an employable environment.

“We don’t want this menace in the country to continue, with NNPP, things have to change and that is what we are asking for.”

Meanwhile, Senator Abdullahi Adamu (APC-Nasarawa West), said on Wednesday, that he is happy President Muhammadu Buhari did not sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law.

Adamu told the News Agency of Nigeria in Keffi that the National Assembly had no business passing a Bill to determine how parties nominate their candidates.

“It is strange and unfair to come up with a law regulating how parties conduct their elections.

“I support the President for not signing the Bill and I minced no words on the floor of the Senate.

“We should appreciate that Buhari’s refusal to assent the bill means so much. He is a very articulate person; a very deep person in thought and planning,’’ he said.

Adamu, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, said he agreed with the reasons given by the President for not signing the bill.

“Some people felt a bit down with the fact that it is difficult to get two-third of members to return to the chambers.

“It is a cause for concern. I am very concerned about it but the remedy is not for us to make laws to promote our personal interests.

“The parties have their guidelines and conditions by which people accept to be members.’’

According to him, you cannot be a member of a party and when you are there, you want to change the rules of the game. It is not right; it is not fair.

He, however, said that the lawmakers would take a decision on the Bill when they return in Jan. 2022.

 

 

For a better society