Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has again insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari would not sign the amended Electoral Bill because of the provision for electronic transmission of election results.
Wike, who spoke at the flag-off of the 27.12km Chokocho – Igbodo road in Etche Local Government Area of the state on Monday, said the inclusion in the bill of the provision for direct primaries by political parties was a mischievous act to make it look like it was the governors that were opposed to the amended bill.
Wike said the reason why Mr. President has refused to assent to the amended Electoral Bill is that he was against the adoption of electronic transmission of results, which would expose the unpopularity of the All Progressives Congress, APC, led Federal Government.
“I told Nigerians three weeks ago that Mr. President will not sign the Electoral Act because they don’t want free and fair elections. Has he signed? Their problem is electronic transmission of results,” he said.
He said if the opposition of governors to direct primaries was the issue, the President could have signed the bill and then like he did with the Petroleum Industry Act, he could still return the law to the National Assembly to take out the clauses on direct primaries.
Saying, the APC government had taken Nigeria back by 30 years, Wike advised Nigerians not to repeat the mistake of 2015 and 2019, when they voted for the APC, in 2023. “What is important is that in 2023 you say, APC, pack your load and go,” he said.
The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, who performed the flag-off of the project noted that though the road was a federal road, the state government was reconstructing it because it was the local people that use the road.
Wike promised that the road, whose contract value is N14 billion, will be delivered in 12 months. He said 40 percent of the amount has been paid to the contractors, Setraco Nigeria Limited.
Lateef Olayinka
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