By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
With the national outrage over the decision of the National Assembly (NASS) to vote against electronic transmission of elections results in Nigeria, the National Chairman of Young Progressive Party (YPP), Bishop Amakiri has branded those members who voted against electronic transmission of election results by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as enemies of Nigeria and Nigerians.
Amakiri who spoke on Channels Television current affairs programme on ‘Sunday Politics’ said it is disheartening that NASS members chose politics over the interest of the Nigerian people by voting against deepening democracy in Nigeria.
Members of the Senate and Federal House of Representatives, especially those of the majority All Progressives Congress (APC), last week voted against electronic transmission of elections in the forthcoming General Elections in 2023 on the pretext that there is no network coverage in some parts of the country.
This is even when INEC has recently successfully conducted two off season governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states, where it electronically transmitted election results to the satisfaction of contestants, electorates and civil society organisations.
But YYP National Chairman has vowed to join hands with other patriotic Nigerians to push for the reversal of the stands taken by Senators and House Members.
Said he: “It is clear to Nigerians that those members of the two chambers who voted against electronic transmission of election results in Nigeria are people who have been winning elections by hook or by crook.
“YPP as a party will fight against the destructive decisions of NASS members. I will be in the forefront fighting against the decision of NASS. I don’t want to tell my children and grandchildren in future that I did not do anything when a group of selfish politicians in NASS took Nigerians for a ride with the vote against electronic transmission of election results in Nigeria”, Amakiri revealed.
Asked why the only YPP serving Senator, Chief Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah was not in the Red Chamber to vote ‘Yes or No’ last week, Amakiri revealed that he has been in close contact with the Senator from Anambra state on the position of the party before the Senate took their decision.
According to him: “I was in touch with our Senator before the Senate voted on the controversial bill. You may wish to know that Senator Ubah had during the plenary raised his hand to make his own contribution on the bill but he was not allowed to. YPP supports e-transmission of election results in Nigeria”.
Meanwhile, former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Kingsley Moghalu has also berated members of Nigeria’s Senate and Federal House of Representatives, for voting against electronic transmission of election results in Nigeria.
Moghalu who was a Presidential candidate in the 2019 Presidential Election, stated clearly that the current NASS members will live to regret voting against the transmission of election results in the 21st century Nigeria.
“I was part of the CBN team when technological innovations like Bank Verification Number (BVN) and Point of Sales (POS) were introduced and they are effective in every part of Nigeria. All these work in my village (in Anambra state).
“It is therefore not true that there is not enough network coverage in Nigeria hence INEC should not transmit election results electronically. Even in the United States of America (USA) that is technologically advanced there is no network coverage in certain areas if you are moving from one place to another. So what are they talking about”, he asked.
Moghalu however said NASS members will regret their actions, arguing that: “I believe strongly that they have shot themselves in the feet and they will live to regret it”.
