Kenneth Okonkwo Calls for Removal of Senate President Over Electoral Act Controversy

By Otobong Gabriel, Abuja 

Kenneth Okonkwo, a prominent figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has criticized Senate President Godswill Akpabio over the recent controversy surrounding the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, describing him as an “enemy of democracy” and demanding his removal.

Speaking on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television, Okonkwo argued that Akpabio’s stance on the bill undermines democratic principles.

“What it means is that Senator Godswill Akpabio has become an enemy of democracy, sticking to a vicious cycle of election rigging, manipulation, falsification, and subterfuge by trying to maintain the same provision that the Supreme Court warned against,” he said.

 “That man is an enemy of democracy and should be removed if he doesn’t resign.”

The bill, which passed its third reading in the Senate last week, includes Clause 60(30), concerning the electronic transmission of election results. 

While the Senate retained this provision from the 2022 Electoral Act, it rejected proposals for real-time transmission of results and a 10-year ban on vote-buyers, opting instead to maintain existing penalties of fines and jail terms.

Okonkwo’s remarks add to the growing debate over the bill, highlighting concerns that the current provisions could weaken transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s electoral process.