A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba and economist, Professor Pat Utomi, have alerted Nigerians of conspiracy by the ruling powers to perfect the rigging of the 2023 general elections through the imposition of an unpopular electoral act.
According to VANGUARD, the duo expressed concerns that the nation’s democracy would be exposed to unprecedented danger should Nigerians fold their arms to allow the National Assembly to pass the toxic document into law.
Speaking under the umbrella of the National Consultative Front, NCFront of Leaders of Conscience; which they co-chaired Rt Hon Na’Abba and Prof Utomi, therefore called on all well-meaning Nigerians to come out enmass to challenge ”This unacceptable electoral act to be imposed by the National Assembly.”
Speaking via a statement issued Monday in Abuja, the NCFront, vehemently opposed the proposed document, while calling on the National Assembly to make public the document before passing it into law.
According to them, ”NCFront is compelled to address the Nation again on the new plot of the ruling powers in Nigeria to entrench the rigging of Nigeria’s Democratic System through the imposition of an unpopular electoral act ahead of the 2023 elections
“As a concerned Pan Nigerian Platform, the NCFront has decided to undertake broad mobilisation and consultations with national stakeholders and leaders of thought, as it has become incumbent on the Front, as the emergent political third force in the country, to provide the required leadership for the exploited masses of Nigeria appropriately in preventing the electoral sham to be passed for the conduct of the 2023 elections.
For the avoidance of doubt, the said document to be passed as the new electoral law of the country, does not embrace key concerns and yearnings of Nigerians, which includes, electronic accreditation using the card reader, electronic counting of votes, electronic transmission of results, electronic collation of results.
”These are provisions that Nigerians believe will help overcome and reduce electoral malpractices drastically, while also taking care of electoral violence and intimidation during elections, to the extent of enhancing the credibility and integrity of our electoral system, while boosting public confidence in our elections.
The proposed document to be passed into law by the ruling political powers is regarded by majority of Nigeria’s political stakeholders as heavily riddled with half measures and loopholes at a time when political office holders nomadically move from one political party to another and still maintain their seats.
”This new imposition is totally unacceptable to us as it is targeted at the rigging the 2023 elections and to put Nigerian Democracy in danger.
”Therefore, we wish to call on all well-meaning Nigerians to come out enmass to challenge this unacceptable electoral act to be imposed by the national assembly.
”We wish state that we are vehemently opposed to this proposed document and therefore will rather implore the national assembly to make public before passing it into law the documents that it intend to pass into law so that every Nigerian or at least majority of Nigerians will agree to that document that says it represents the interests of the Nigerian.
”We demand for a popular document that can give Nigeria credible, free and fair elections in 2023 and to produce credible and competent leadership as anything short of that will further put the country in danger.
”Already political tension is very high as the country lacks credible leadership and good governance and although INEC has improved in the last two elections in Edo and Ondo this must be sustained to grow our democratic stability.
“Finally, we wish to appeal to all Nigerians to remain calm and prayerful in the interest of the peace, harmony, and stability of our dear Country as the ongoing consultations among leaders of conscience across the six geo-political zones are expected to yield a formidable intervention.”