Political analyst and public affairs commentator,
Okonkwo, has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of undermining Nigeria’s
democratic process, describing him as an “enemy of democracy” over his stance
on electoral reforms.
He criticised Akpabio for allegedly supporting
provisions that encourage electoral manipulation despite existing judicial
guidance.
According to him, Akpabio’s actions reflect a
continued commitment to election rigging, manipulation, falsification, and
other undemocratic practices. He argued that maintaining such provisions,
especially after warnings from the Supreme Court, amounts to a direct assault
on democracy.
“What it means is that Senator Godswill Akpabio has
become an enemy of democracy,” Okonkwo said, adding that anyone who insists on
retaining such clauses despite court pronouncements should either resign or be
removed from office.
His comments come against the backdrop of the Senate’s
recent passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which scaled through its
third reading last week.
A key aspect of the bill, Clause 60(30), relates to
the electronic transmission of election results. On Wednesday, the Senate
retained the provision allowing electronic transfer of results as contained in
the 2022 Electoral Act.
However, lawmakers rejected proposals for the
real-time transmission of results and a 10-year ban on vote-buying. Instead,
the Senate opted to maintain existing penalties, which include jail terms and
fines for offenders.
The development has continued to spark debate among stakeholders, with critics arguing that the Senate’s decisions could weaken electoral transparency and accountability ahead of future elections.
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