A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has criticised Senate President Godswill Akpabio over the recently passed Electoral Act Amendment Bill, describing him as an “enemy of democracy” and calling for his removal if he fails to resign.
Okonkwo made the remarks on Sunday while speaking on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television in Abuja, where he raised concerns over the Senate’s handling of the bill.
According to him, Akpabio is attempting to preserve provisions that the Supreme Court has previously cautioned against.
“Senator Godswill Akpabio is trying to maintain provisions that the Supreme Court has clearly warned against. This is a direct threat to democracy because it encourages manipulation, election rigging and subterfuge. If he does not step down voluntarily, he should be removed from office,” Okonkwo said.
The Electoral Act Amendment Bill recently passed its third reading in the Senate following intense debates, particularly on the electronic transmission of election results. Clause 60 (30) of the bill addresses the procedure for electronically transmitting results to enhance transparency and credibility in the electoral process.
However, the Senate on Wednesday resolved to retain the existing provision for electronic transmission of election results as contained in the 2022 Electoral Act.
Elijah Adeyemi
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