Group advocates open voting in choosing 9th Assembly leaders

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

The race for the leadrship of the 9th National Assembly took a new dimension as a group of protesters stormed the National Assembly to ask for an adoption of open voting system during the inauguration of both chambers.

Coming under the auspices of Advocates for Good Governance (AGG), the protesters armed with placards bearing inscriptions such as: “No to secret voting in NASS,” “Enough of secrecy in NASS election” among others, blocked the main entrance to the National Assembly complex.

Spokesperson of the group, Duro Meseko, explained that the group was irked by what he called the “planned use of secret voting in electing leaders of the 9th Assembly.”

Meseko urged all members-elect of the 9th Assembly to be vigilant and defend the interest of their respective constituents and that they must ensure that the election of the new leadership is done in a creditable and transparent manner.

He said that demand for open ballot or voice vote system for the conduct of the election of the new leadership of the 9th National Assembly would boost the country’s democracy.

“Only this approach will give the new leadership the confidence and trust it deserves from Nigerians,” he said.

He expressed fears that Nigerians might be forced to unanimously rise against the leaders who might emerge through any other mode of election, if the open ballot system was not adopted for the conduct of the leadership elections.

The group called on patriotic Nigerians to lend their voices to ensure that voting was done in the open and every vote counted and counts.