In a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Ike Abonyi, on Sunday in Abuja, Secondus alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari and his party were averse to conducting free, fair and transparent elections in 2023.
According to Secondus, the ruling party is plotting to stay in power by all means by sharing INEC’s constitutionally assigned responsibilities with other agencies.
The PDP chairman noted that INEC does not need the National Assembly to do its legitimate duties because the Electoral Act and the Constitution give unilateral powers to INEC to conduct credible elections in Nigeria.
Secondus, however, slammed INEC over the stoppage of the procurement of E-voting machines ahead of 2023 because of the rejection of the e-mode of transmission of results by the National Assembly.
The statement read in part, “Secondus noted that since the existing Electoral Act and the Constitution gives unilateral powers to INEC to conduct credible elections in Nigeria, it does not need the National Assembly’s position to do its legitimate duties.
“From all indications, INEC is trying to abdicate its constitutionally assigned responsibilities of conducting free, fair and transparent elections hiding under the cover of delayed amended Electoral Act or rejection of e-transmission of results.
”If the same INEC could conduct governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states in September and October last year respectively; without the amended Electoral Act, it can still be done all over the country.”
Meanwhile, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) will meet on Tuesday to reach resolutions on issues to be presented to the National Executive Committee (NEC).
Part of the resolutions to be agreed on was the party’s national convention holding in October for the election of a new crop of NWC members.
Confirming the meeting, PDP spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, told Daily Trust on Sunday that the NWC meeting would hold on Tuesday (tomorrow).
“The date for NEC is not fixed yet. NEC will meet after the NWC meeting,” he said.
