In its response to what it described as the vehement opposition of the National Assembly against electronic transmission of election results and popular demand for diaspora voting, the National Consultative Front (NCFront) says it is convening a major rally next week in Abuja of former and aspiring presidential candidates, top political leaders and stakeholders across party lines.
It said the all-important parley and rally is “to save Nigeria from perpetual rigging circles of elections,” and to deliberate on, among others, “urgent formidable action to effect popular, inclusive and generally acceptable amendments to the Electoral Act with the aim of saving Nigeria’s nascent democracy.”
“Consequently, the NFront is inviting like-minded concerned stakeholders, politicians, civil society activists, leaders of political parties, including their presidential candidates, eminent Nigerians, including religious leaders, leaders of youths, women and vulnerable persons groups to ensure that the 2023 elections witnessed a credible electronic transmission of results and diaspora voting among other popular yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians to safeguard the future of Nigeria’s democracy,” it said, in a statement by Dr Tanko Yunusa, its head of Public Affairs Bureau.
The Front said it is time for all concerned Nigerians and political stakeholders, irrespective of their divide and affinity, to come together to demand for a formidable, inclusive, improved and sustainable Electoral Act that can build the trust and confidence of Nigerians in the electoral system.
It appealed to Nigerians, “especially the principal characters in this amendment process, especially in the legislative and executive arms of government and the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission” not focus on immediate pecuniary benefits.
The demanded that Section 3 (3) of the proposed Electoral Act should be “revisited so as to save the integrity of the Nigerian electoral process and prevent political anarchy and the imminent collapse of Democratic rule in Nigeria.”
The section, according to the group, deals with INEC finance.
It also cited Section 50(2), which touches on electronic elections, including electronic accreditation, electronic voting, electronic counting and electronic collation and electronic transmission of results simultaneously from every polling unit, ward collation center, LGA collation centre, state collation centre to all zonal, states and national collation centre/situation rooms.
Others are “Section (65), which borders on announcement of results under duress; Section (76), which addresses the issue of political party registration, section (88), which refers to party funding and the current political normadism and carpet-crossing, as well as the emergent yearning for diaspora voting.”
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