Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, claims the National Assembly lacks the courage to override President Muhammadu Buhari’s (retd.) refusal to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

The governor claimed that the federal legislature lacked bravery because it is complicit in the APC’s plan to deny Nigerians a free, fair, and transparent election in 2023.

He believes that the best way for Nigerians to avoid repeating their mistakes of electing the APC-led Federal Government in 2015 and 2019 is to send them packing in 2023.

Governor Wike made the remarks during Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State’s flag-off of the Chokocho-Igbodo Road in Etche Local Government Area on Monday.

Kelvin Ebiri, the governor’s communications adviser, confirmed this in a statement made accessible to journalists.

Gov. Wike said when he expressed fears that President Buhari would not sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law, giving legal backing to electronic transmission of election results, most people did not believe him.

He said, “Three weeks ago, I told Nigerians that there is a conspiracy not to have a free, fair, transparent election in 2023 and that conspiracy was very clear. And I told Nigerians, Mr. President will not sign the Electoral Act amendment bill.”

Governor Wike remarked that knowing the APC’s modus operandi, manner, and strategy, it was evident to him and all discerning minds that the direct primaries clause was placed into the Electoral Act amendment bill as a ruse to get the president to reject assent to the bill.

According to him, members of the APC are concerned that if results are communicated electronically, they will not be able to contest the general elections in 2023.

Wike said, “What APC resolved in the meeting they had was that their problem is not necessarily direct primaries, but the electronic transmission of result in 2023.

“If they allow that, obviously APC will lose the election in 2023. So, they told themselves that the only way they can survive is to include the direct primaries in the bill so that Mr. President can use that as an excuse, that he will not sign the bill.”

He accused APC governors and members of the National Assembly of deceiving Nigerians by claiming to be in a war for supremacy over direct primaries when, in fact, they had secretly conspired to destroy the possibility of electronically sending election results in 2023.

Governor Wike stated that the National Assembly does not have the necessary votes to override the President’s rejection to sign the bill. According to him, lawmakers are uninterested in safeguarding Nigerians’ interests and ensuring free and fair elections through electronic transmission of election results.

The Governor said, “Unfortunately, you don’t have a National Assembly that has what it takes, that will stand for the people, that will say we were elected by the people and we want to give the people the best. Nobody in the National Assembly, not even the leadership can have what it takes to say, Mr. President, for the interest of Nigerians, we are going to veto this your refusal.”

The governor claimed that because the APC does not prioritize Nigerians’ interests, its leaders are engulfed in turmoil, vying for rewards that feed their egos.

He claimed that the Peoples Democratic Party was distinct because it was growing stronger as a legitimate political party and was trying to improve the socio-economic conditions of people in PDP-controlled states on a daily basis.

Governor Wike, speaking about the 27.12-kilometer Chokocho-Igbodo Road project, said that despite the Federal Government’s refusal to maintain the road for years, he was willing to help.

According to him, the contractor, Setraco Nigeria Limited, has already been paid 40% of the contract money in order to finish the project within the next 12 months.

Governor Wike was hailed as a visionary leader whose pattern of development is establishing an economic corridor not only within Rivers State but also linking it to the neighboring three states by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who performed the flag-off.

It should be noted, according to Governor Makinde, that the struggle to free Nigeria from the APC’s misrule began in Rivers State right here in Etche.

Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Elloka Tasie-Amadi, described the project, saying the Chokocho-Igbodo Road serves Rivers and other neighboring states in the South-East.