Electoral Reforms: PDP Sets Up C’ttee, to Partner CSOs

As an aftermath of its National Executive Committee (NEC)
meeting, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has set up a committee
of elders to work towards ensuring effective and efficient
electoral reforms before the next general election.
To that extent, the party said it would partner civil society
groups to work with it and its members at the National Assembly to
reform the electoral act.

This was disclosed to newsmen by the National Publicity
Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, who claimed that electoral
reforms were one of the high points of the PDP NEC meeting.
“For us in the PDP, we believe that until there are improvements in
our electoral laws, our elections are not going to be credible and
this is going to endanger our democracy.

“So, the PDP has resolved to constitute a committee that will
work in tandem with National Assembly members elected on the
platform of our party and other interested parties as well to form
a broad-based committee that will work with our
parliamentarians.

“We need to engage the civil societies on electoral reforms,
because as a party, we have seen that the issue of electoral
frauds, abuses and hijack of electoral process by the APC can only
be redeemed if every Nigerian agree in unison that we must amend
the rules.

“This was why the PDP has agreed to work in concert with CSOs,
faith-based organisations and community leaders to entrench a law
in the system in which the people can truly elect their
representatives,” Ologbondiyan said.

On the membership of the reforms committee, he said, “We haven’t
decided that yet. The NWC will work on the modalities and present
it. We will act on behalf of NEC, work on the modalities of
membership and work on the areas of interest concerning the party
and the nation. As soon as we constitute the committee, we will
make it known”.

He also announced that the PDP would from the first quarter of
next year embark on electronic membership drive.

His words: “We are also going on electronic membership drive as
you know even INEC is contemplating going for electronic election.
If you look at the election that was held in Edo State, where
results were transferred from the units, the base of the election
to the collation centre, that negated and ruled out the tendency of
hoodlums to hijack results and change them.

“We believe that in our party too, we must immediately go into
electronic membership drive. The NWC has gotten approval prior to
now on the need for that and also presented it to NEC yesterday. By
first quarter of next year, we would have been able to begin the
pilot scheme.”

He said the NEC has approved the strengthening of the
reconciliation of aggrieved member in the party, noting, “NEC also
agreed that we should strengthen the processes of our
reconciliation both at the zonal level and at the national level.
Modalities have been created already and I am sure that before the
end of the year, we are likely going to see leaders coming in.

“Even the governors forum and other organs of the party have
also agreed to go into reconciliation with our members and leaders,
when we have issues,” he explained.

The PDP spokesperson said the NEC has agreed for a review of the
manifesto of the party to meet the agitations and expectations of
Nigerians before the next general election.

He said: “Our party and NEC have decided that in view of the new
exigencies in our nation, and in order to be able to meet the
demands of Nigerians; in order to prepare Nigerians ahead of 2023
elections, we are going to create a committee that will review our
manifesto and make sure that it meets the requirements of today
particularly, the exigencies of today.”

On the outcome of the review of the 2019 general election, he
said, “The Bala Mohammed Committee briefed NEC on how far they had
gone on the issues the committee is looking into, the reasons the
2019 election went the way it did, because we believe Nigerians
voted for our party in the 2019 Presidential election. They brought
a preliminary report to NEC and they divulged the areas that they
have been able to cover in the assignment and they asked for more
time.”

As an aftermath of its National Executive Committee (NEC)
meeting, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has set up a committee
of elders to work towards ensuring effective and efficient
electoral reforms before the next general election.
To that extent, the party said it would partner civil society
groups to work with it and its members at the National Assembly to
reform the electoral act.

This was disclosed to newsmen by the National Publicity
Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, who claimed that electoral
reforms were one of the high points of the PDP NEC meeting.
“For us in the PDP, we believe that until there are improvements in
our electoral laws, our elections are not going to be credible and
this is going to endanger our democracy.

“So, the PDP has resolved to constitute a committee that will
work in tandem with National Assembly members elected on the
platform of our party and other interested parties as well to form
a broad-based committee that will work with our
parliamentarians.

“We need to engage the civil societies on electoral reforms,
because as a party, we have seen that the issue of electoral
frauds, abuses and hijack of electoral process by the APC can only
be redeemed if every Nigerian agree in unison that we must amend
the rules.

“This was why the PDP has agreed to work in concert with CSOs,
faith-based organisations and community leaders to entrench a law
in the system in which the people can truly elect their
representatives,” Ologbondiyan said.

On the membership of the reforms committee, he said, “We haven’t
decided that yet. The NWC will work on the modalities and present
it. We will act on behalf of NEC, work on the modalities of
membership and work on the areas of interest concerning the party
and the nation. As soon as we constitute the committee, we will
make it known”.

He also announced that the PDP would from the first quarter of
next year embark on electronic membership drive.

His words: “We are also going on electronic membership drive as
you know even INEC is contemplating going for electronic election.
If you look at the election that was held in Edo State, where
results were transferred from the units, the base of the election
to the collation centre, that negated and ruled out the tendency of
hoodlums to hijack results and change them.

“We believe that in our party too, we must immediately go into
electronic membership drive. The NWC has gotten approval prior to
now on the need for that and also presented it to NEC yesterday. By
first quarter of next year, we would have been able to begin the
pilot scheme.”

He said the NEC has approved the strengthening of the
reconciliation of aggrieved member in the party, noting, “NEC also
agreed that we should strengthen the processes of our
reconciliation both at the zonal level and at the national level.
Modalities have been created already and I am sure that before the
end of the year, we are likely going to see leaders coming in.

“Even the governors forum and other organs of the party have
also agreed to go into reconciliation with our members and leaders,
when we have issues,” he explained.

The PDP spokesperson said the NEC has agreed for a review of the
manifesto of the party to meet the agitations and expectations of
Nigerians before the next general election.

He said: “Our party and NEC have decided that in view of the new
exigencies in our nation, and in order to be able to meet the
demands of Nigerians; in order to prepare Nigerians ahead of 2023
elections, we are going to create a committee that will review our
manifesto and make sure that it meets the requirements of today
particularly, the exigencies of today.”

On the outcome of the review of the 2019 general election, he
said, “The Bala Mohammed Committee briefed NEC on how far they had
gone on the issues the committee is looking into, the reasons the
2019 election went the way it did, because we believe Nigerians
voted for our party in the 2019 Presidential election. They brought
a preliminary report to NEC and they divulged the areas that they
have been able to cover in the assignment and they asked for more
time.”