Abbas: This Is Premeditated Procedural Manipulation – Kenneth Okonkwo Blasts APC Over Open Ballot Voting

Nollywood actor cum politician, Kenneth Okonkwo has reacted to the emergence of Tajudeen Abbas as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Naija News earlier reported that Abbas was elected by members of the House in an “openly declare” ballot system on Tuesday.

He polled a total of 353 votes to defeat fellow contenders, Ahmed Wase and Sani Jaji, who polled three votes each.

Reacting to the development via a series of post on his Twitter handle, Okonkwo condemned the open ballot system of election which produced Abbas as the speaker.

The Labour Party stalwart berated the ruling All Progressives Congress for excluding the north central from every elective position in the Federal, Executive and Legislature.

He wrote “APC has manifested its spirit of marginalisation by excluding the North Central from every elective position in the Federal Executive and Legislature of this great country in the 2023 elections at a time North Central is not heading the Judiciary. This is against the spirit of equity justice, and fairness, and most importantly, this ill advised composition of the elective positions offends the Federal Character Principle of Nigeria.

“The most unacceptable sight is the humiliating way the only contestant from the North Central for the office of the Speaker of the HOR was treated and the ambush that was set for him through the adoption of the open ballot system of election that intimidated the members to vote in a particular manner. This can be described as a premeditated procedural manipulation of the election.

“Nigeria can be better than this. We will not relent until this APC scourge is removed from the fabrics of Nigeria’s political wellbeing. Again, APC has unleashed renewed hopelessness on harnessing the beauty of our diversity through inclusion of all Geo-Political Zones in the scheme of things in Nigeria.”