Beatrice Gondyi in Bauchi
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum have kicked against attempts by the federal government to impose the direct method of conducting primaries on political parties in the country.
The governors also insisted that the electronic transmission of election results must be part of the country’s laws.
Addressing journalists at the end of their meeting on Mondays in Bauchi, chairman of the forum and governor of Sokoto state, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, said electronic transmission of election results will guarantee free and fair polls in the country.
The governors maintained that political parties should be allowed to decide the method of conducting their primaries as part of efforts aimed strengthening internal democracy.
The PDP governors accused President Muhammadu Buhari and his ruling All Progressives Congress (APC ) of turning the Presidential Villa to the secretariat of the party.
The governors also condemned the arm twisting of some PDP governors and other stakeholders to join the APC.
Tambuwal said, the APC as a political party “has wrecked Nigeria’s economy, turned Nigeria into a killing field and has nothing to offer Nigerians but misery and bad governance”.
The governors also called on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), especially, the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd (NIGCOMSAT), Telephone Companies (Telcos) and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that universal access and service of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are provided especially in rural, communities across the country before the 2023 general elections.
The governors decried the growing rate of unemployment in the country and called for a collaboration between the federal and state governments to address the situation
The governors lamented the deplorable security situation in the country, saying that, “it is time to bring the activities of bandits, kidnappers and terrorists to an end, through increased use of military equipment, traditional means of conflict resolution and technology for surveillance and the development of the political will to flush them out.”
