The Peoples Democratic Party caucus in the National Assembly yesterday alleged plans by some powerful forces within the All Progressives Congress (APC) to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to decline assent to the 2010 Electoral Act (amendments) Bill 2022, forwarded again to his office on Monday.
The PDP senators and House of Representatives members have therefore, asked Buhari to shun those working against the bill by appending his signature as soon as possible.
The Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe and the House Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, stated this while addressing members of the PDP BoT members before a closed door meeting at the National Assembly.
Chairman PDP BoT, Senator Waleel Jibril, who led the delegation urged the PDP caucus to work with the party leadership to “ensure that we take over power from the APC in 2023”
Abaribe said: “The minority caucus of the PDP in the National Assembly is asking President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Electoral Act which we had passed. We made sure that everything he complained about we have given it to him.”
Similarly, Elumelu said: “We have met them (APC lawmakers), they said they want direct primaries. We said, okay if it will mean giving Nigerians a very sound reform, electoral reform, we accepted.
“They came back again and said, oh, we have rejected. They are the ones rejecting. They said, okay, we want indirect. We said, we agree, but give Nigerians electoral reform. They came back again and said, we want Consensus. We have given them Consensus.
“Again, I am hearing that, amongst them, those APC governors and whatever, with their wuru-wuru are still plotting for the President not to sign.
“Nigerians are tired of APC. So, for coming here, we are proud of you people. Your coming has further energised us to know that, we are doing the right thing and we will never let you people down.
“By the grace of God, we will never let you people down and we will ask APC. APC, sign the Electoral Act. Sign it, Nigerians want it signed. Sign and sign and sign. No more delay”.
Elumelu noted that it was disheartening that the APC had turned the forthcoming FCT Council elections to a battleground.
He said: “ Just a small council election they have turned it to a battle ground. Even those who could not win their polling units are finding themselves instead of administrating, they have abandoned their states for just FCT council election even though in the last election the president lost his unit in the villa in the last election so I wonder why all of them are battling to come and take what they know they can never get, the FCT area Council election.
“Let me also state that we are not like APC. Let me thank the BOT for finding it worthy to come and interact with us. We can never be like them.
“They have promised Nigerians so many things: N1 to $1 today it is N596 to a Dollar.
“They have Promised Nigeria that farmers would be able to go to farm and produce good food for us.
“Today no farmer to go to the various farms because of insecurity. They have promised Nigerians that they will give us good roads but today go to the Airport you see crowds because we don’t have good roads.
“The legacy left by PDP government is still what we are enjoying today because of failed promises by APC.”
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