Senate President Blames Yar’Adua-Era “Rigging” for Past Woes, But Delta Voters Cry Foul on INEC’s Broken Promises
In a fiery Senate speech that’s ignited fierce backlash across the Niger Delta, Senate President Godswill Akpabio declared Wednesday that Nigeria’s electoral system has “improved tremendously” since the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost federal power in 2015. The APC chieftain, who twice governed Akwa Ibom under PDP before jumping ship, dropped the bomb during the second reading of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, painting pre-2015 polls as a cesspool of “inconsistencies and rigging.” For oil-rich South-South states like Akwa Ibom, Delta, and Rivers – where vote-buying, thuggery, and INEC glitches have long poisoned ballots – Akpabio’s words sting like salt in fresh wounds, stirring memories of disputed 2023 results and cries for true reform over partisan jabs.
Akpabio, addressing the chamber with a nod to his two-decade hustle alongside Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (another PDP vet), reminisced on 2007’s “totally flawed” polls that crowned Umaru Yar’Adua – who himself admitted the mess. “Since PDP left, we’ve plugged the holes,” he boasted, touting tech upgrades and legal tweaks. He even mocked the 2023 Supreme Court saga over the Federal Capital Territory’s (FCT) “must-win” myth, where opposition pushed that snagging Abuja trumped sweeping the 36 states. “Common sense could have told us that was not the intent,” Akpabio quipped, framing it as progress despite “setbacks.” The bill, aimed at sealing more loopholes, sailed to committee after his plug.
PDP Ghosts and APC Glory: Akpabio’s Personal Flip-Flop
No stranger to the game’s grit, Akpabio won Akwa Ibom governorship twice on PDP tickets (2007, 2011) and snagged Senate seats in 2011 and 2015 under the same banner. His 2015 defection to APC – amid PDP’s ouster – paved a rocky path: A 2019 Senate loss, redeemed by Buhari’s Niger Delta Affairs ministerial nod. By 2023, he clawed back a Senate win and the presidency on APC steam. Critics in Uyo and Eket see his barbs as sour grapes from a “two-faced” insider, not outsider wisdom. “He rigged under PDP, now praises APC’s ‘improvements’?” scoffed one anonymous Akwa Ibom youth activist via WhatsApp.
Niger Delta’s Bitter Ballot Box: From Yar’Adua to Tinubu’s Shadow
Akpabio’s rose-tinted take clashes hard with Delta realities. Yar’Adua’s 2007 confession? A low bar, but 2015’s APC dawn promised utopia via card readers and BVAS – yet 2019’s Delta polls reeked of over-voting in APC strongholds, while 2023’s Rivers violence and Anambra glitches fueled #INECMustGo protests. In Bayelsa, where Douye Diri’s PDP edged a bruising 2023 contest, voters recall ballot snatches amid oil flares. Akpabio’s FCT jab? It echoes South-South fury over “marginal” math: Why prioritize Abuja when Delta’s 5 million souls deliver votes but get crumbs? PANDEF elders and #EndBadGovernance youth slam it as deflection from core rot – underfunded collation centers, thug-infested queues, and diaspora vote denial.
The amendment bill? A glimmer, targeting fake results and tech hacks, but skeptics fear it’ll entrench APC edges without tackling Delta-specific woes like flood-disrupted voting or ethnic biases. As the Senate Committee on INEC digs in, two weeks could birth real change – or more rhetoric.
Delta’s Demand: Beyond Blame, Deliver Dignity
Akpabio’s swipe, while sparking X memes and PDP retorts, underscores a truth: Elections have evolved, but trust hasn’t. For Niger Deltans, from Warri’s waterside hustlers to Port Harcourt’s market mamas, reform means verifiable votes, not victory laps. If Akpabio’s right, prove it in 2027 – or his words ring hollow as another unplugged hole.
What’s your poll horror story? Flooded booths in Bayelsa or bought votes in Edo? Drop it below – let’s push for plugs that last.
