<\/p>\n
A prominent Yoruba socio-cultural group, \u00ccgb\u00ecnm\u00f3 M\u00e1j\u00e9k\u00f3b\u00e1j\u00e9 Il\u00e9-Yor\u00f9b\u00e1, launched a scathing attack on the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. <\/p>\n
The group has openly labeled Akpabio a \u201cstooge\u201d of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alleging that the legislative leader is being used to clear a path for electoral manipulation ahead of the 2027 general elections.<\/p>\n
Central to the group\u2019s grievance is the Senate\u2019s recent decision to reject the mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results. <\/p>\n
The Union argues that this move is a calculated attempt by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to bypass the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), thereby creating a loophole for rigging.<\/p>\n
In a strongly worded statement signed by Convener Olusola Badero and Home Director Princess Balogun, the Union accused the Senate leadership of betraying the Nigerian people. <\/p>\n
They claimed that Akpabio is working under strict instructions from the Presidency to dismantle electoral safeguards that were meant to protect the sanctity of the ballot.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Senate has knowingly undermined the integrity of elections and opened wider the doors for manipulation, rigging, and disenfranchisement of the Nigerian people,\u201d the statement declared. <\/p>\n
The group emphasized that by rejecting electronic transmission, the Senate has prioritized the \u201cselfish interests\u201d of a few political elites over the welfare of over 200 million citizens.<\/p>\n
The Union did not mince words regarding the history of political thuggery in Nigeria. They reminded the public of the physical dangers voters face, noting that many have been \u201cbrutalised\u201d or \u201ckilled\u201d simply for trying to ensure their votes were counted.<\/p>\n
The statement pointedly accused lawmakers of hypocrisy, alleging that they often deploy thugs to disrupt voting or steal ballot boxes when they realize their opponents are leading. <\/p>\n
The group specifically referenced past incidents, such as the assault on a female voter in Lagos and the tragic killing of a PDP women leader in Kogi State, as evidence of the violent climate the ruling class seeks to maintain through manual result collation.<\/p>\n
The Yoruba Union also directed its fire at President Tinubu, describing his administration as a \u201cfailed leadership\u201d marked by rising poverty, insecurity, and a lack of basic infrastructure. <\/p>\n
Despite his background as a self-proclaimed democrat, the group accused him of using the National Assembly to drag the country backward.<\/p>\n