A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Magnus Abe, has called on Nigerians to support the passage of the Electoral Act by the National Assembly as it would put an end to all short-cuts to power.
Abe made the call during a courtesy visit on HRH Kadilo Kabari in Barako in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The former representative of the Rivers South-East district at the National Assembly insisted that the signing of the Electoral Act by President Muhammadu Buhari would return power to the people.
He noted that supervised direct primaries by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) would reduce the cost of organising elections in Nigeria.
“Elections are not expensive, it is the behaviour of people that destroyed the electoral process in our country that has made elections become expensive.
“This Electoral Act, if signed by Mr President, will give Nigeria a new beginning and provide new opportunities for Nigerians to actually reap the dividends of democracy because there would be no shortcut to power anymore.”
“Ordinarily, the election is a clerical job. All you need is a Polling Clerk, Presiding Officer and Party agents, and they will conduct an election that will produce the kind of result that will be difficult to contest in Court if we allow them to work.
“But, when those who should take part in the process are the ones hiring buses, planning thuggery, bringing Police and Army, they make the election process to be expensive, cumbersome and disputed,” Abe stated, saying a credible electoral process in Nigeria will change the attitude of politicians.
“When politicians know that their fate in an election will be dependent on the people’s vote, they will behave differently. INEC supervised direct primaries is the way to go,” he added.
