Former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Adewole Adebayo, has strongly criticised members of the National Assembly opposed to mandatory electronic transmission of election results, describing their actions as a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
Adebayo spoke on Politics Today on Channels Television on Monday while reacting to the Senate’s decision to reject a proposed amendment to Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which sought to make electronic transmission of election results compulsory.
He dismissed claims that recent public reactions to the decision amounted to agitation, saying what had been seen so far was only a “warm-up” and a “fashion parade,” stressing that Nigerians across the country were already mobilising to defend democracy.
According to him, democracy is more important than personal ambition, wealth, or political office, describing it as essential for the survival, dignity, and progress of Nigerians.
The former SDP flagbearer questioned what he described as a contradiction in government actions, noting that while authorities claim to be dealing firmly with coup plotters, lawmakers were being allowed to undermine the will of the people through legislative decisions.
He said: “That’s not agitation. That is a warm-up. I tell you, I pray to God Almighty that we will resolve the matter. That was not agitation; that was a fashion parade.
“I just came from Lagos. You see, we are all planning. Everybody is all over the country planning, because this democracy is more important to me than becoming President.
“This democracy is more important to me than being a billionaire, more important to me than anything else, because it is the ability of the black man to have a country of his own where he can exercise his talent, protect his family, protect his children, and project our power to the world. That is true democracy.
“The same government is saying that they caught coup plotters. All of us were worried. You called me to the studio here. We were discussing that if you are a coup plotter, we deal with you in this country. Why are we dealing with coup plotters while allowing coup plotters to be in the National Assembly and frustrate the intentions of the people of Nigeria? What we need to understand is representative government.”
