The Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to endorse the electronic transmission of results contained in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill passed by the National Assembly.

In a statement on Sunday in Abuja, Mr Okechukwu, speaking on the raging controversy over the direct primary mode of electing party candidates inserted in the Bill, appealed to Mr Buhari “not to throwaway the baby and the bathe water.”

According to him, “My candid appeal is that Mr President should endorse the Electronic Transmission contained therein; which is the mother of Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BIVAS).”

Mr Okechukwu said the BIVAS was “Vaccine to Vote Rigging; the most patriotic item in the Bill, an offspring of electronic transmission which ultimately fulfills the legacy pledge of Mr President to bequeath credible, free and fair elections to Nigerians.”

He said he was concerned that “the controversy, hyperbole and cacophony of voices over direct primary may wittingly or unwittingly scuttle the entire Electoral Bill, thus throwaway the baby – BIVAS and the bathe water – Direct Primary.”

(NAN)