A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of undermining Nigeria’s democratic process amid the controversy surrounding the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, calling for his resignation or removal from office.
Okonkwo made the allegation while reacting to the Senate’s handling of the proposed amendments, arguing that Akpabio’s role in retaining disputed clauses in the bill runs contrary to Supreme Court pronouncements and erodes public trust in the electoral system.
“What it means is that Senator Godswill Akpabio has become an enemy of democracy,” Okonkwo said. “By insisting on provisions the Supreme Court has clearly warned against, he is sustaining a vicious cycle of election rigging, manipulation and falsification.”
He maintained that the Senate President should step aside if he continues on the same path. “That man is an enemy of democracy and should be removed if he doesn’t resign,” he added.
The Electoral Act Amendment Bill passed its third reading in the Senate last week. One of its major provisions, Clause 60(30), addresses the electronic transmission of election results.
Although the Senate retained the provision for electronic transmission as contained in the 2022 Electoral Act, it rejected proposals for real-time transmission of results and a 10-year ban on vote-buying. Instead, lawmakers opted to maintain existing penalties, including fines and jail terms, for electoral offences.
The Senate’s decision has continued to draw criticism from political stakeholders and civil society organisations, many of whom insist that stronger safeguards are necessary to guarantee transparent, credible and trustworthy elections in Nigeria.
