From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Former National Vice chairman(South South) of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Emmanuel Ogidi, has berated the National Assembly for failing to make electronic transmission of election results compulsory, in the new electoral law.
Ogidi, in a interview, in Abuja, described the performance of the National Assembly as “very low”, especially in ensuring check and balances in the system.
The PDP leader noted that the refusal of the parliament  to make electronic transmission of election results in the 2023 general elections compulsory, is suspicious. Consequently, he charged Nigerians to be ready to resist any attempt to manipulate the next general elections.
According to him, “this 9th National Assembly is a disaster, they even told us that anything the Executive brings, they will pass it; we can only rate them as an extension of the Executive.
`”The shocking one is electronic transmission of electoral results, Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) is saying they are competent and can do it, the National Assembly is saying they do not have the facility, to the extent they went to bring NCC who come and lied to them.
“This means they are planning to rig the 2023 elections but I am encouraging Nigerians to resist it. We must all come out and ensure that the right thing is done.”
He  added that “the PDP members in the parliament have done their best but unfortunately, they cannot influence their APC counterpart, it is unfortunate but I sympathize with the good APC lawmakers unfortunately, they cannot do anything.
“The only thing we have succeeded in doing is to walk out from the chambers but that has not changed anything, shine your eyes Nigerians.”
Ogidi expressed optimism that after the October 30 national convention of the PDP,  the party will come out with choices that are acceptable to all Nigerians.
“I believe there is hope, as a Christian I believe God has better things for us and with the way PDP is coming now, that is the new hope for Nigeria.
“I will encourage Nigerians to give us (PDP) another chance and let show that we know how to deal with situations like this; you may think that we have issues in PDP but sometimes before a plant grows, it has to die first,” he stated.