BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Kaduna State, Abduraman Usman, has called on the United Nations to place travel ban on all members of the National Assembly who voted recently against electronic transmission of election results in Nigeria.
Usman lampooned the federal lawmakers for “placing party and selfish interest above national interest,” when they had the opportunity to tackle rigging and other associated electoral frauds.
Usman, a policy analyst, spoke in an interview with our correspondent in Osogbo, Osun State.
According to him, the excuse by some lawmakers that absence of telecommunication network in some rural communities might pose a challenge to electronic transmission of results is flimsy and not weighty enough to vote against e-transmission of results.
He said the National Assembly had disappointed Nigerians, noting that “one would wonder whether the National Assembly is working for life presidency or third tenure for President Muhammadu Buhari, because the desperation to pass bills without proper and wider consultations is highly suspicious.”
He said, “It’s unfortunate that the lawmakers had the privilege of redeeming their image by allowing what would have curbed electoral fraud but, as usual, they failed Nigerians.
“I call on the United Nations and other developed countries to place visa ban on all lawmakers who are gullible by shutting down opportunity for electronic transmission of results. They have done grave injustice to Nigeria and its electoral system.
“Is it not this same network facility in the rural areas that is being used to facilitate electronic application and collection of results for external examinations such as UTME, WAEC and NECO? They are simply not being fair to Nigerians.
“If you do electronic transfer of results from polling units to collation centres in a community that lacks network, when you move to an area that has network, it will fly and deliver. Which of these lawmakers is receiving salary manually? The legislators, do they have to go to bank to receive their salaries? That is the question. I believe the President will sign the electoral bill because it is what they have already arranged.”
“I believe this matter will be tested in court. It’s an APC agenda and the Senate will have its way. Ahmed Lawan’s tenure is difficult to define. He has put himself above national interest,” Usman said.
