The Social Democratic Party, SDP, has called on the Presidency and National Assembly to urgently consider and assent the amended electoral bill in order to quell the malpractices that are being experienced in elections
Hon. Chidi Nwosu, the Abia state chairman of SDP, who made the call in a statement issued to reporters on Friday in Umuahia, condemned the vote buying that characterized the just concluded 2019 Nigeria general elections.
The party lashed out at Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the state of allegedly engaging in vote buying during the elections which enable the governor to return for a second term in office.
ND had reported on Sunday, that the governorship candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia state, Dr. Alex Otti and Dr. Uche Ogah, had jointly rejected the results of the Saturday’s poll.
The two front line candidates in the election alleged at a joint press conference in Umuahia, that the results were highly tampered with in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).
According to the statement, “The political class especially the incumbent government in Abia State displayed the worst method of vote buying which were carried out in public glare, yet security agents looked the other way or even supervised the act in some polling units. Some of the card readers were already uploaded and fanned to be in bad working condition.
“Presidency and national Assembly should curb money politics in the political parties to buttress this fact. SDP governorship candidate was allocated 2191 votes where as the party presented 4062 committed party agents in the 4062 voting points in Abia. At least our party agents had all voted for SDP, yet SDP governorship candidate was allocated 2191.
“Many security agents aided compromises election officials to execute their plans especially when party agents were harassed, intimidated and not allowed access to the collation centers.”