Electoral Act: Wike commends NASS, disagrees on mode of primaries

 

Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has described the decision by the National Assembly to allow the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, determine the use of electronic voting and transfer of results as a good development.

 

The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday reversed its self on the section 52(2) of the Electoral Amendment bill which empowers INEC to determine the best mode of transmission of election result.

 

Reacting to the development, Governor Wike commended the senators for their action which he said is good for the nations democracy.

 

In a statement issued by his spokesman, Kelvin Ebiri Governor Wike said a lot of countries have moved above manual transmission of result, adding that Nigeria cannot be left behind.

 

The statement read “I think it is a good news to hear that the Joint Committee of the House of Representatives and the Senate agreed for INEC to transmit result electronically. That is a good news to hear. Like I have always said, what is important now is what do people want. The moment you do what the people want, you’ll see happiness everywhere.”

 

“I think it is a good development for Nigeria and democracy. And I will urge them , the two Chambers, the House of Representatives and the Senate to abide by that recommendation by the joint committee of the two Chambers, because it is for their own interest.

 

” And I commend the Senate President and the Speaker, House of Representatives, all the principal officers and members who felt that they must listen to what is good for Nigeria and what is good for Nigerians.”

 

The governor, however, disagreed with the National Assembly on the issue of direct or indirect primaries of political parties, arguing that it should be left for parties to decide.

 

He said the move by the senators can be likened as interference into party’s internal affairs.

 

“A party could adopt a method , procedure in electing who represent them at various level, that is not the for the National Assembly to dictate that you must do it by direct or indirect method. That is not democracy. That should be an internal affair of the party.”

 

“The National Assembly should realise that doing that is interfering in the internal politics of the parties and that will not augur well.”