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Electoral Act: Doherty advocates stringent penalties against saboteurs

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Former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Mr Adedeji Doherty, says there should be stringent penalties against saboteurs of the new Electoral Act, especially the e-transmission of election results.

Doherty made this remark in Lagos, while reacting to the newly signed Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2022 by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The PDP chieftain said the new Electoral Act would not guarantee credible election unless Nigerians embraced the culture of integrity, fairness and honesty in politicking.

According to him, the penalties must be grievous for any person who may want to render useless, the efforts toward sanitising the nation’s electoral processes.

“The new electoral act is okay. I believe the electronic transmission of election result is perfect and good. it is a good step in the right direction and it will help the credibility of elections.

“But it is for us as Nigerians to make sure that we imbibe the tradition of honesty, integrity and credibility. We know some people will still want to sabotage the system and the e-transmission of results’ machine.

“There should be stringent penalties against people who may want to make the system an opportunity to make money by manipulating the machine or perpetrating cyber crimes.

“I believe the e-transmission of results should go with some stringent penalties for its abuse. Anyone that attempts sabotaging should go for 10 years in jail without option of bail,” he said.

Doherty, who noted that having a good law was not enough, called on all stakeholders to make the law implementable.

The PDP chieftain, however, said that President Buhari should have embraced the direct primary clause in the previous version of the bill to end manipulations by returning to people, power to choose whoever would fly a party’s flag.

According to him, the process through which candidates of parties emerge is the starting point of returning the nation to the path of growth and development, which he said, indirect primaries and consensus do not afford.

On the Lagos state congress of the party slated for Sunday, Doherty said both aspirants and the electoral committee must follow the PDP constitution.

The former chairman, however, noted that the PDP National Working Committee was doing a good job to ensure a hitch-free congress in Lagos, adding that the party leaders were also cooperating to ensure a successful exercise.

Doherty, who commended Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State for his support for Lagos PDP, also expressed confidence in the Gov. Douye Diri-led Electoral Committee for the Lagos state congress.

He described the Bayelsa governor, Diri, as credible; being a beneficiary and an apostle of free and fair election.

Doherty, who noted that he also stood for internal democracy in PDP, said that PDP’s fortune remained bright in the state, considering the ongoing reconciliations and unity within the party.

-NAN

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