Wike says Buhari, APC are delaying electoral bill in order to manipulate 2023 elections

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has accused President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate of frustrating the passage of electoral bill in order to rig the 2023 in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Appearing in an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, Wike claimed the delay in the passage of the bill is a ploy by the ruling party to influence elections.

The electoral act amendment bill was initially introduced in the eighth national assembly under the leadership of Bukola Saraki, but President Muhammadu Buhari declined assent three consecutive times.

The bill was reintroduced in the ninth senate but has witnessed a series of postponements.

Reacting to the development, Wike expressed that he was shocked that Buhari has not shown interest in the passage of the bill by the national assembly.

The Rivers governor said the electoral bill will ensure that there are credible elections in 2023, adding that the APC is scared of credible and fair polls.

“This government does not want to give Nigeria credible elections in 2023. Why will they want to give Nigeria a credible election in 2023? They know very clearly that with the way things stand today, Nigerians have lost confidence in this government,” he said.

“No reasonable Nigerian will say I want this APC government to come back in 2023. And therefore, what we do to make sure there is no credible election is to make sure we do not allow this amendment of the electoral act that ought to give us a credible, free and fair election.

“So that they will be able to manipulate the 2023 elections. It is very clear. I’m surprised Mr President will not even champion it to say ‘look I promised Nigeria that one thing I must leave in office even before anything’; ‘I must give Nigeria, free and credible elections’.

“You see, national assembly, they say one thing here today, one thing here tomorrow. All these things are strategies of the ruling party to deny Nigerians in 2023 of having a free, fair and credible election.”