Following the fall-out of the recently concluded Bayesla and
Kogi states governorship elections, the Minority Caucus in the
House of Representatives has said that the Electoral Act Amendment
Bill would soon be listed for consideration in the House.
The Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, disclosed
this while addressing journalists at the end of plenary
yesterday.
The media briefing followed a statement made at the plenary by
Hon. Leke Abejide (Kogi, ADC), saying that the whole House was in
support of what happened at the last Saturday’s election.
But Elumelu swiftly raised a point of order, saying the minority
caucus was not in support of the outcome of the elections.
Speaking on behalf of the minority caucus at the briefing, the
minority leader stated categorically that the PDP caucus was not
impressed with the mode of election, especially considering the
loss of lives.
He said that election is not meant to lose lives because the
essence of coming into governance is to represent the people,
adding that if those that would be represented are killed, then who
are political office holders going to represent.
According to him, “Take for instance, if you look at the videos
that are going viral, PDP state woman leader in Kogi State was
burnt alive in her house, Senator Dino Melaye in his unit, his
nephew was killed and in Bayesla State, the same thing – ballot box
snatching. So, we came here for the purpose of registering that we
are not in favour of the outcome of the election.”
“Because we have so many bills that are lined up for
presentation, like that of Electoral Act will not go the novel, it
will be something that will come under Committee of the Whole. It
is already in process and very soon it will be listed.”
Also, the Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Toby Okechukwu, said that
the essence of the briefing was to share their concerns with regard
to the trajectory of the democracy.
He stressed that what happened in Kogi and Bayelsa states showed
how the country has degenerated when it comes to the way and manner
elections are conducted, noting that the country was improving in
the negative sense.
Okechukwu said, “As a matter of fact, if you see the clips that
are flying all over the place; if you see the reports from
Nigerians; if you see the level of deprivation; if you see the
number of people who did not participate (in the exercise); the
level of violence that has been orchestrated in just two states, it
is quite unfortunate and it is something that really has to be
investigated.”
The caucus said it strongly believe that the matter would be
interrogated in court, adding that the woman leader from Kogi State
that was burnt alive was a negative testimony to what the country
has come to see as elections.
“It leaves a number of rooms for us to do better and I believe
that our own agenda as minority caucus of the House, particularly
the PDP, that we shall drive and make sure that the Electoral Act
as to be amended and the time for it is now.”
Okechukwu said there was need to address some of these
imperfections that have manifested in very clear forms in these
elections, stressing that what had been harvested as the symptoms
of the challenges should responded to in amendment of the Electoral
Act.
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