Politics
Abaribe Advocates Full Electronic Voting To Enthrone Credible Elections
The Senator-elect for Abia South Senatorial District, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, has called for full electronic voting in the country in order to enthrone transparent and credible elections.
Abaribe was re-elected for a sixth tenure in the Upper Chamber in last Saturday’s National Assembly (NASS) elections on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
He spoke on his victory and the challenges that characterised the electoral process in an interview with newsmen in his Obingwa country home on Thursday.
He said: “I am one of those that believed that the process of the elections was flawed.
“But I call for calm and peace and people should resort to the legal means to redress the error.
“It is such a bloody shame that INEC will manipulate the scores by candidates.
“It happens because the result sheets are in the hands of INEC officials.
“We should introduce full electronic voting that is tamper-proof.
“It is possible. We are in electronic age.
“It is time we got adapted to modern technology.
“We cannot continue to play with our existence.”
The former Senate Minority Leader said that it had become shameful that the country’s electoral process was still being conducted manually.
He said that the practice where result sheets were often mutilated with written, cancelled and re-written scores in the process of falsification to rig elections was debasing to the country’s image.
Abaribe said that INEC dashed the people’s hope for a fair and credible exercise with its failure to achieve electronic transmission of results from the polling units to its portal.
“Throughout its planning stages, INEC kept assuring us that it was prepared to conduct credible elections so we thought that everything would work smoothly,” he said.
According to him, the transmission of results electronically failed, coupled with the failure of other logistics for the distribution of electoral materials.
“The sensitive materials did not arrive early and they were found in the hands of those, who had no business with them,” he further said.
Abaribe, who polled 49,693 votes, also spoke on how he roundly defeated Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, who came a distant third with 28,422 votes.
“The margin of defeat would have been massive, if the process had worked well without hitches here and there,” he said.
He attributed his victory to his quality representation to his constituency and being closer to the grassroots.
“My title is “Mma aya (sword) Ndigbo worldwide.
“I have the love of the Igbo nation. My people love me.
“It is good to always be with your people, stand for them always and make yourself accessible to them.
“My people showed me love and it is sweet victory for the downtrodden, civil servants and pensioners, who are owed arrears of salaries,” he said.
He promised to reward his constituents for their trust by remaining a strong and consistent voice in the National Assembly.
Abaribe took a swipe at the outgoing Ikpeazu-led administration for its lacklustre performance in eight years.
“Abia gets tax revenue, revenue from oil derivation and not owed Federal Allocation for both the state and Local Government councils yet the government cannot pay salaries and pensions,” he said.
Abaribe, who was a founding member of PDP, said that the party’s poor showing in the NASS election had further buried PDP in Abia.
“PDP is gone and buried along with the Progressive Peoples Alliance that transmutted itself into PDP.
“They have ended up grounding the party and themselves,” he said, adding that APGA would work hard to install Prof. Greg Ibe as the next governor.
“We will fight for Ibe to become the governor to repair the rot that the PDP-led government had caused in its eight years in the state,” he said.
In a statement on Saturday, the former Senate Leader stated that the allocation of nominees across states and geopolitical zones falls short of the constitutional requirement for fair representation in the composition of the Federal Government.
The ex-Senate Whip warned that allowing the list to pass could deepen ethnic suspicion at a time when the administration should be consolidating national unity.
He highlighted disparities in the spread of nominees, noting that while some states have three or four slots, others have none. He also cited the inclusion of Senator Adamu Garba Talba from Yobe, who reportedly died in July.
“The entire North-East states have seven nominees in the list. Further checks revealed that the South-West geo-political zone has 15 nominees, while North-West and South-East have 13 and 9, respectively.
“North-Central region has 10 nominees in the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominee while South-South parades 12 nominees,” Senator Ndume said.
According to him, such imbalances could heighten tensions and undermine Section 14(3) of the Constitution.
“My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical juncture in his administration, he should avoid missteps that could undermine national unity and foster ethnic distrust.
“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholder in the country. He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on the Federal Character Principle,” Senator Ndume added.
He accused the legislators of undermining the sanctity of the legislature and acting as instruments of destabilization.
“The members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have, by their actions since they assumed office, shown that they are political puppets and a clog in the wheels of democratic progress,” Comrade Ememobong stated, adding that “They will go down in history as enemies of democracy and those who made mockery of the legislature.”
“So the easiest way to describe their action is a defection from APC to APC,” he said.
Comrade Ememobong announced that the party would deploy constitutional provisions to reclaim its mandate from those who have “ignobly and surreptitiously” abandoned the platform on which they were elected.
“Consequently, the PDP will take legal steps to activate the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) to recover the mandate gained under the banner of our party which these people have now switched to another platform,” he said.
He urged party members in Rivers State to remain calm and steadfast.
“We urge all party members in Rivers State to remain faithful and resolute, as efforts are underway to rebuild the party along the path of inclusiveness, fairness and equity,” Comrade Ememobong assured.
As the news of the defection of 17 members of Rivers State House of Assembly from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP )to the All Progressives Congress (APC) continue to make the rounds, a cross section of Rivers people who spoke to The Tide have expressed varying views regarding the development.
At Etche, a senior lecturer with the Rivers State University, who did not want his name in print, said even though defection was the right of politicians, peace and stability remained more fundamental than any action that could further challenge the fragile political situation in the state at the moment.
He also warned that the situation should not be used to witch-hunt any one, adding that the state had suffered enough and needed to be at peace.
In his reaction, Engr Polycarp Geoffrey said even though citizens and residents of the state had cause to be concerned about the decision of the lawmakers, there was nothing to worry about if it was done in good faith.
“I don’t think there is any big deal about it – defection is defection. But people are worried because of past events in the state. So, for me, I don’t see anything about it”, he said.
Engr Geoffrey also urged the Governor Siminalayi Fubara to also openly declare political affiliation in a bid to douse the political tension in the state and to provide clarity regarding his future political direction.
Another respondent, Mr Ebere Alex, alleged ulterior motive behind the law makers’ defection but urged both the law makers and the governor to work for the peace and development of the state.
However, speaking on the development, a chieftain of the PDP in the state, Hon Nname Ewor, told The Tide that said his party would reach out to the remaining lawmakers who have not defected.
He also denied an alleged internal squabble within the PDP, adding that there was no crisis in the party.
It would be recalled that 17 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Rt Hon. Martin Amaewhule, during plenary last Friday, announced their migration from the PDP to the APC, citing internal party crisis.
Other members who also defected were the Deputy Speaker, Rt Hon. Dumle Maol, representing Gokana Constituency; House Leader, Hon. Major Jack, representing Akulga Constituency 1 and Deputy Leader, Hon. Linda Somiari-Stewart, representing Okrika Constituency; Hon. Solomon Wami, Port Harcourt Constituency 1 and Hon Granville Tekena Wellington representing Asari Toru Constituency 1; Hon. Ofiks Kagbang, representing Andoni Constituency; Hon. Peter Abbey representing Degema Constituency; Hon. Arnold Dennis representing Ogu/Bolo Constituency; Hon. Chimezie Nwankwor representing Etche Constituency 2 and Hon. Franklin Nwabochi representing Onelga Constituency 1.
The rest were, Hon. Azeru Opara, representing Port Harcourt Constituency 3; Hon. Smart Adoki representing Port Harcourt Constituency 2; Hon. Igwe Afforji ,Eleme Constituency and Hon. Lolo Opuende representing Akuku Toru Constituency 2.
By: John Bibor
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