PDP calls for Electoral Law Improvement
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday has raised concerns over the conduct of credible polls, insisting that there should be improvements in the country’s electoral law for credible elections to be held in the country.
The party’s Spokesperson Kola Ologbondiyan stated this in Abuja at a news conference on the party’s resolutions from Thursday’s 90th National Executive Committee meeting.
The party said it is resolved to constitute a broad-based committee to work with the National Assembly and other stakeholders on the Electoral Act amendment to make Nigeria’s elections free, fair, and credible.
“For us in the PDP, we believe that until there are improvements in our electoral laws, our elections are not going to be credible and this is going to endanger our democracy.
“So, the PDP has resolved to constitute a committee that will work in tandem with NASS members elected on the platform of our party and other interested parties as well to form a broad-based committee that will work with our legislators.
“We are also going to engage the civil societies on electoral reforms.
“As a party, we have seen that the issue of electoral frauds, abuses, hijack of the electoral process can only be redeemed if every Nigerian agrees in unison that we must amend the rules.
“This is why the PDP has agreed to work in concert with CSOs, faith-based organizations, community leaders to entrench a law in the system in which the people can truly elect their representatives.”
Ologbondiyan also disclosed that the party had resolved to go for an electronic membership drive by the first quarter of 2021.
“As you know even the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is contemplating going for electronic election.
“If you look at the election that was held in Edo where results were transferred on INEC portal from the units, the base of the election, to the collation center, that negated and ruled out the tendency of hoodlums hijacking results and changing them.
“By the first quarter of next year, we would have been able to begin the pilot scheme.”
Ologbondiyan further added that to prepare Nigerians ahead of the 2023 elections, PDP was going to create a committee that would review its manifesto to meet the demands of Nigerians and current exigencies in the country.
