Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday, accused President Muhammadu Buhari of allegedly turning the Nigeria seat of power to All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat.
The forum in a communique at the ending of its meeting in Bauchi on Monday, alleged that the president has hijacked the party’s leadership and administer same from the confines of the presidential villa.
It noted that ‘coerced’ PDP members are being paraded at intervals from such a vintage position, where they have no say.
“The Governors condemned Mr President and APC for turning the Presidential Villa, that belongs to all Nigerians, into the new APC headquarters, where coerced PDP members are being paraded at intervals,” the Forum said.
On electronic transmission of results
The forum insisted it would not shift ground in it’s struggle to ensure that electronic transmission of election results is adopted for future elections, while calling on the National Assembly to enact laws to make it possible.
“On the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, the Governors identified the need for a free, fair and credible elections in the country and called on the National Assembly to entrench Electronic transmission of results of elections in the nation’s electoral jurisprudence,” the Forum Chairman and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwa said.
It requested the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deploy appropriate technologies necessary to ensure votes count during elections.
It condemned the attempt to foist only the direct method of conducting primaries on political parties through the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
The communique reads: “The Governors noted that the method is prone to massive rigging, as evidenced by a situation where President Buhari scored about 15 million votes in the 2018 APC Direct Primaries only to score 15 million votes from the entire country in the 2019 General Election.
“The Governors advised that political parties, should be allowed to decide whether to use direct or indirect method of conducting primaries as part of internal democracy in political parties.
“On the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, the Governors identified with the need for a free, fair and credible elections in the country and called on the National Assembly to entrench Electronic transmission of results of elections in the nation’s electoral jurisprudence.
“The meeting requested Independent National Electoral Commission (NEC), the only body empowered by the Constitution to conduct elections, to deploy appropriate technologies necessary to ensure that the votes of every Nigerian is counted and made to count.
“The meeting further 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, un-served and under-served areas of the country before the 2023 General elections.”
Urgent need to refocus the economy
The meeting called on the president to liaise more with state governments to address the rising unemployment challenges through technology and increased production in all fields of endeavour.
It urged the federal government to create the enabling environment for business to thrive as foreign direct investments have continued to fall.
“The governors reiterated, once again, the need for the NNPC and other revenue generating agencies of Government to strictly abide by the Constitution by remitting all their Revenue less cost of Production into the Federation Account as provided for by S.162 of the Constitution.
“On security of lives and properties, in addition to our earlier recommendations, 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,” it said.
