Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has reacted to the signing of the Amended Electoral Act into law by President, Muhammadu Buhari, Today.
Wike, in a statement shortly after the signing, said though Nigerians are glad that the president has signed the bill into law, he should not have allowed Nigerians pass through this level of tension before doing it.
According to him, the amendment is a victory for Nigerians as it would reduce electoral violence and give credibility to the nation’s electoral process.
His statement reads,
We are glad Mr President has bowed to pressure and signed the ammended electoral act into law but he shouldn’t have allowed Nigerians pass through this level of emotions and tension before doing the right thing.
This ammendment is a victory for Nigerians as it would reduce electoral violence, give credibility to our electoral process and make popular acceptance the route to public office.
Mr President’s call for an ammendment of the clause which requires political appointees to resign before contesting party primaries is questionable. It is obvious he is trying to influence the process in favour of his appointees that might want to contest elections. .
Laws should be made in the interest of Nigerians and not for a few cronies. If he believes in free and fair elections and for everyone to have a level playing field Mr President wouldn’t demand for an ammendment of the clause which requires political appointees to resign before participating in party primaries.
I commend the National Assembly for listening to the voice of Nigerians and including the usage of smart card readers and electronic transmission of results in our laws.
To everyone who spoke up, advocated and insisted on the signing of the ammended electoral act, your effort has paid off, your voice has been heard and you have made a key contribution to the development of credibility in our electoral system.
