Ibrahim Oyewale, Lokoja
A House of Representatives member representing Lokoja /Kogi Federal Constituency, Ibrahim Shaba has said President Muhammadu Buhari may not have reasons not to assent to the electoral amendment bill particularly with the inclusion of electronic transmission of the elections results by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC before the 2023 general elections.
Ibrahim disclosed this while speaking on the sideline of presentation of the two years stewardship to the people of his constituency in Lokoja at the weekend.
The Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) explained that while there was heated debate at floors both chambers of the National Assembly on electronic transmission of results , he was on the side of the masses for their votes to count.
He noted that when he sensed that he might not be given the opportunity to express his opinion on the floor of the House of Representatives, he quickly ran to a national television to air his opinion on the salient issue of electronic transmission of the elections results by the INEC during the subsequent elections in the country.
He said should in case the president fails to assent the bill all known constitutional means would be deployed to get it done in favour of the masses.
On the spate of insecurity that recently enveloped Kogi Local Government area of the state, Ibrahim disclosed that he raised to the occasion by debating the issue on the floor of the House, met the appropriate security agencies within and outside the state. In addition, he said he met personally with the State Governor, Yahaya Bello.
He said due to the intervention of the state government and the security agency, the people of Kogi local government are now sleeping with their eyes closed as the kidnapping and armed banditry have become a thing of the past.
Ibrahim also seized the opportunity to open up the issue of whether he was aiming to defect from the PDP to the All Progressive Congress (APC), stating that he has no plans to dump PDP for now.
The Federal lawmaker, however lamented the inability of the successive administrations to complete the Abuja-Lokoja Highway which contract was awarded by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006.
He told the constituents that if he had had power to complete the road, he would have done so, but this is not within the purview of his national assignments.
