Governors elected on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after a meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday, urged legislators not to sustain President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021.
They added that lawmakers should quickly conclude deliberations on the bill, either by overriding the President’s veto or deleting areas of complaint, and “deny President Buhari the opportunity to once again truncate a reformed electoral jurisprudence for Nigeria.”
In a nine-point communiqué released after the meeting that lasted for about eight hours at the Government House, Port Harcourt, which was signed by 10 of the 13 PDP governors, they re-echoed Sunday’s position of the former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, that the early conclusion of the Electoral Act amendment is vital for credible elections.
The opposition governors also lamented “the continued state of insecurity in the country, persistent and ceaseless flow of Nigerians’ blood on a daily basis in many parts of the country and the near collapse of security situation.”
They expressed regrets that “Mr President is unwilling, from his recent comments discountenancing the proposals for state policing, to participate in reviewing the structural problems of tackling insecurity in Nigeria and urged Mr President to reconsider his position and consider decentralisation and restructuring of the security architecture as the most viable solution, together with proper arming, funding and training requirements for security agencies.”
The governors also noted that “the economy has continued to deteriorate,” adding that “Nigerians have become numb and accustomed to bad economic news as exemplified by the inconsistent and differential exchange rate regime, high interest rates, unsustainable unemployment figures and borrowing spree, among other bad economic indicators.”
Governors who attended the meeting presided over by the forum’s chairman, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State, include Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State; Douye Diri of Bayelsa State; Samuel Ortom of Benue State; Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.
Others are Nyesom Wike of Rivers State; Seyi Makinde of Oyo State; Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State.
Zamfara State deputy governor, Mahdi Gusau, and PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, with other national officers of the party attended the meeting. Edo State governor, Dr. Godwin Obaseki and Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, were absent.
