ONYEDI GABRIEL, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has described National Assembly members who voted against electronic transmission of election results as enemies of Nigeria.
This was as he expressed doubts on the willingness of President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to ensure free, fair and credible election in 2023.
Wike said the rejection of electronic transmission of election result by the APC members in the National Assembly was a sign that they were not willing to improve on electoral reforms ahead of the poll.
He said the actions of the lawmakers were tantamount to a coup against Nigerians desirous of a free, fair and credible election.
The governor insisted that Buhari’s failure to prevail on APC members to support the inclusion of electronic transmission of election results in the amended Electoral Acts, was proof of his lack of intentions to leave a legacy of a transparent electoral process.
He spoke during the official presentation of a letter of nomination to him as “the 2020 Governor of the Year Award” by the management of the Leadership Media Group at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Tuesday.
Wike remarked that the current National Assembly capitalised on the seeming political indifference of Nigerians to deliberately vote against the inclusion of electronic transmission of election results in the amended Electoral Act.
He said: “Those who voted against e-transmission of results should be ashamed of themselves. They never mean well for this country. If you are a member of the National Assembly and you voted against electronic transmission of results, your children should call you and say daddy, are you well?
“I can’t believe anybody who went to school in this digital period will vote against electronic transmission of results. What kind of country is this? What kind of National Assembly members do we have?
“It is a coup against the people, and when you plot a coup, you know the consequences of plotting a coup. National Assembly members have plotted a coup against Nigerians and Nigerians should hold them responsible. All they are planning is to rig the election, because they know Nigerians have abandoned them.”
The Rivers State governor said he had expected President Buhari, who had openly declared his respect for former President Goodluck Jonathan to build on the electoral legacy of his predecessor.
“If Jonathan did not believe in the transparency of the election, he would not have allowed card reader to be used. So, he introduced the card reader as a sitting President, knowing fully well that that could be an albatross to him. But he said no, I want us to move to the next level.
“Mr. President cannot tell us that sincerely he wants to conduct a free, fair, credible election. Let nobody deceive you. It is very clear that there is no sure intention at all.”
The governor, who stated that he had never influenced any media organisation to nominate him for an award, advised media groups against bestowing award on non-performing political office holders.
Wike commiserated with the family and management of the Leadership Media Group over the death of the founder of the newspaper, Sam Nda-Isaiah. And urged them to use the newspapers as a voice for the people.
“Let me thank the leadership of the newspaper for finding us worthy or qualified, to be nominated for the Governor of the Year Award. Therefore, we dedicate this award to the glory of God Almighty and to the people of the State”,he said.
The Group Managing Director of Leadership Newspaper, Muazu Elazeh, said they were in Port Harcourt to formally present Governor Wike the letter of his nomination as the Leadership Governor of the year and then to invite him to attend Leadership conference slated for September.
“When the board of editors of Leadership met for this nomination, because it is something we do every year, when your name was mentioned, I think it is the only name that received unanimous endorsement because of your practical approach to leadership and governance; because of your focus in infrastructural development which is resetting the business and economy of Rivers State”, he said.