By Demola Akinyemi, Ilorin
Ahead of the 2027 general election, former Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Professor Ali Ahmad, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure the inclusion of the Independent National Electoral Commission Results Viewing Portal(IReV) in the electoral act to tackle the much dreaded cases of election rigging in the country.
Speaking with newsmen in Ilorin on the sidelines of the forthcoming general elections in the country, Prof. Ahmad, a constitutional lawyer and one of the PDP governorship aspirants in the state, said this is one of the means through which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu could write his name in gold in the democratic history of Nigeria.
Ali also former member of house of Representatives noted that, such gesture would go a long way of bringing transparency and free and fair in the conduct of elections in the country.
He said that, “I want to say that, let the IReV be in the electoral act of the country, the era of rigging any election would be a thing of the past in the country.
“The usage of IREV for our elections would allow every voter to vote at their polling units and the results are transmitted electronically to the INEC portal and it will help to get results instantly rather than depending on collation officers who may at times inflate the results of the elections on the way to collation centers.
“The IReV would also bring credibility and acceptability of elections results in the country and this will also stabilise the nation’s democratic institutions in the country”
“Let me also add that aside that, putting IReV on Electoral Act would encourage people to actively participate in future elections,and it would make our President to write his name in gold in the democratic history of Nigeria politics, which to me is critical for any Nigerian politician rather than any other attainment. “
The Professor of Law added that, “Once the IReV is included in the constitutional amendments and electoral act of the country, the era of the politicians taking themselves to court over the conduct of the elections would be drastically reduced.
“Every politician would be able to accept the election results without doubting the results because the elections results would be seen transparently, devoid of any manipulations and this would also boost the democratic participation in the country”.
Ahmad further noted that, ” I know it will be very difficult but I believe that if the present administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can allow it to be done, it will bring credibility, acceptability and transparency in the conduct of the elections in the country”.
On the African Democratic Congress in Kwara, the former Speaker of the state House of Assembly said that, the party has no stand in the political calculations of the state in the forthcoming elections.
Ahmad said that, the ADC has no structure and no member that can withstand the PDP and that they will not spring any surprises in the next elections in the state.
The former lawmaker, however urged the members of the PDP to remain united and worked together so as to ensure the electoral success of the party in the next elections in the state.
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