Electoral Reforms: PDP Asks EU To Review Partnership With Nigeria
John Alechenu
POLITICS DIGEST – THE National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus, on Tuesday, urged the European Union to review its partnership with Nigeria.
This, he said, would go a long way in strengthening democracy in the country.
The opposition party leader made the appeal while receiving an EU team of Evaluators led by Prof Adele Juniad and Prof Victor Adetula, in his office at Wadata House, Abuja.
Secondus said, “If the European Union has put in about €100 million supporting democratic institutions in Nigeria like the Independent National Electoral Commission, it should ensure that they play by the rules.
“I urge you, EU officials, to sit down with the INEC and insist that the right things are done and to also put necessary pressure for the passage and signing of the amended Electoral Act.
“You must find a way to sanction INEC or any agency that receives from you but not playing by the rules.”
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The PDP national chairman also noted that the democracy which the PDP nurtured and sustained for 16 unbroken years, has been put under a lot of stress since the All Progressives Congress took over six years ago.
He further said, the reluctance of the APC-led administration to carry out electoral reforms was evidence of the party’s apathy towards transparency.
According to him, the PDP won the 2019 Presidential election as well as the governorship elections in Osun and Kano States but was denied victory because of the violation of electoral rules and the militarization of polling areas.
He stated that unless the Electoral Act was amended to allow for the direct transmission of results from the polling units as observed in the Edo State gubernatorial election, last year, 2023 might be difficult to handle.
Speaking on the security situation in the country, Secondus expressed sadness that the ship of state was sailing without a captain, adding “the Commander- in- Chief is missing on duty and it’s free for all in governance in Nigeria today.”
Earlier, the Political Adviser of the EU in Nigeria, Osaro Odemwingie, revealed that the economic bloc has so far spent over €100m in supporting the country’s democracy through the INEC.
He further explained that the team came to interact with the PDP leadership to get their perspective on activities of INEC and other institutions of democracy.
