Onuesoke urges media to sustain pressure on application of electronic transmission of voters’ results

FORMER Delta State gubernatorial aspirant and a Chieftain of People’s Democratic Party (PDP),  Chief Sunny Onuesoke has appealed to Nigerians and the media to sustain the  pressure on the members of the Senate, Federal Government and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the merit of application of electronic transmission of voter’s  result in  2023 polls.

This follows the rejection of electronic transmission of voters’ results by Senators elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Addressing journalists in Asaba, Delta State, he said with the rejection of electronic transmission of votes, it is the duty of vocal Nigerians and the media as the Fourth Estate of the realm that can rescue the helpless masses by crying out loudly to the world about  the oppression of the Senators against those who voted them into office.

He alleged that the action of APC Senators was an  assault on the sensibilities of Nigerians, who looked up to the Senate for improvement in our electoral process in a manner that would engender free, fair and credible process.

Onuesoke explained that the Senators claim that NCC had declared that only 43 per cent of the country was currently under effective telecommunications coverage is a false hence evidence are  bound that GSM phones are used in all the remote villages of Nigeria including the forest where Boko Haram, ISWAP and bandits are operating from.

“Even if the NCC’s claim by the senators is true, we have to start from somewhere and improve on it instead of relying on  manual method of transmitting  election results which gives room to scores of manipulations.

In Nigeria, we use GSM network in transferring money, pay different kinds of bills, register JAMB, WAEC, NIN and other activities. Even Boko Haram, ISWAP and bandits use GSM to communicate with  relatives of abducted victims in the remote forest. Why can’t INEC use it  to transmit election results?

“Even INEC had countered NASS saying that nationwide transmission of electronic result is possible. Thenhat is the problem of the Senators? Did they have to tell INEC how to go about its own affairs? Why are they interfering in INEC’s constitutional right at the expenses of the masses who are yielding for the electronic transfer of voters’ result? He queried.

Describing the Senators’ action as effrontery on the independence of INEC, Onuesoke argued that  the commission is a creation of the constitution and the law, and its powers are derived from the constitution.

He insisted that attempt by the Senators to impose their laws on the commission under the disguise of  electoral law amendment is unconstitutional.