Fred Agbedi, member of the House Committee on Electoral Affairs, has stated that disruptions during the deliberations on the Electoral Act Amendment were caused by the denial of members’ rights to be heard.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television, Agbedi accused the leaders of the House of Representatives.
Electoral Act Amendment Turns Partisan, Marginalizes Minority Lawmakers
Deliberations on the Electoral Act Amendment of turned into a partisan exercise and marginalising minority lawmakers.
However, he argued that the legislative process should accommodate different views.
He said, “In the lawmaking process, the people have their opinion.
The beauty of democracy is that the majority will have their way while the minority will have their say.”
“When you ignore members who raise points of order, that is what causes rowdiness.
We all have equal rights, and when I speak, I am speaking for my people.”
Agbedi: E-Transmission Debate Started Bipartisan, Cut Across Party Lines
Fred Agbedi further claimed the e-transmission debate initially cut across party lines collaboratively.
It later became sharply polarised amid rising tensions in the chamber.
This followed alleged directives for ruling APC members to vote strictly as a unified bloc.
“At the beginning, there were no party lines; people believed the real-time transmission provision was good enough and reflected what Nigerians wanted.
Agbedi Slams Electoral Outcome Ignoring Public Transparency
The public had anticipated full transparency throughout the critical deliberations on e-transmission and voting integrity.
This glaring disconnect left many feeling the democratic process was undermined from the very start.
Lawmakers from various sides and ordinary citizens alike felt profoundly cheated throughout the contentious proceedings.
They were ultimately “defrauded” by the controversial final position, which undermined democratic integrity in the House.
