A former Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, on Monday warned that credible election would continue to be elusive in Nigeria so long as the beneficiaries of malpractices sit in office to appoint the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Aregbesola, a former Minister of Interior and National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said this in Abuja during the official launch of the Election Observatory of the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership with the theme, “Innovation in Electoral Technology 2015 – 2025: Gains, Gaps and the Road Ahead”, promoted by NOI Polls.
However, in a veiled reply to Aregbesola, Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State said politicians should not only speak when they are out of power or when the system doesn’t favour them.
Soludo alleged that ADC was thumbprinting ballot papers before the Anambra bye-election.
According to Aregbesola, political parties should have a minimum of five representatives each in the National Assembly to manage the appointment of INEC chairman and its National Commissioners.
Aregbesola said the issue of Nigerian election is not as easy as people think, especially from the prism of the appointment of INEC chairman and National Commissioners.
“We must review the process of appointment of those who superintend INEC to restore confidence in the system. They are as powerful as those who manipulate the process. Political parties should have a hand in it. I’m a beneficiary of electoral shenanigans and we know it. So long as we don’t do the needful, we will be joking.
“Political parties should have a minimum of five members to manage the appointment of INEC chairman and others. The institution in charge of law and order, are they reliable? Let INEC demonstrate how it will conduct election in 2027.
“If election works well in Venezuela and Brazil, why can’t we get it right in Nigeria?
To have democracy, there must be democrats. And to have democrats, there must be trust in the system.
“We can’t have confidence in a system where results are declared before the conclusion of election as was seen in the election in Zamfara and also Imo State where the person who came fourth position is now a Governor.
“We expect a system where parties must populate the commission before 2027. A situation where the beneficiary of election appoints INEC chairman, you can’t get a good thing from the commission.
We are the giant of Africa and must save the judiciary. If Nigeria fails, Africa may fall into an irredeemable mess”, Aregbesola said.
But in a veiled reply to Aregbesola, Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State said politicians should not only speak when they are out or the system doesn’t favour them.
He said, “We should not only speak when we’re out and it didn’t favour us. In Anambra, it’s ADC that was thumbprinting ballot papers before election.
“We must give INEC some credit, although there are a few bad eggs. It would require two or multiple hands to clap. We will be able to score INEC 90 per cent, given what has happened in Anambra since 2019.
“Politicians need to do a lot more. The belief that nothing can happen without ‘wuru wuru and wayo’ in Nigeria should stop. Anambra election is coming and politicians have been sleeping in INEC because they believe in using odd means to win.”
At the event, Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State said so long as there is no rule of law in Nigeria and politicians continue to intimidate voters for their own selfish interests, whatever that will be done to improve the electoral process will be a Sisyphean exercise.
Governor Lawal said, “This conversation is timely as the 2027 election approaches. That will be the way to shape the future of this country. The use of BVAS is a good means to manage the manipulation of election. We leaders must take responsibility. Electoral technology is the way forward all over the world.
“My challenge to INEC is that there should be a proper integration of BVAS and IRev. So long as there is no rule of law, whatever we do will be an exercise in futility. Politicians use security to intimidate people for their own selfish interests. Without the rule of law, whatever we do will not be useful.
“We should not be afraid to speak the truth. No amount of intimidation can silence us. If we continue to stay in isolation, it cannot take us anywhere.”
The chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, represented by a National Commissioner,
Prof Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, said
the commission is working with relevant stakeholders to ensure the necessary electoral reforms and deepen Nigeria’s democracy.
The Chancellor of Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, Dr Osita Chidoka, identified managing non-compliance as one of the challenges of election in Nigeria.
He said, “If all the political parties are doing what Athena Centre is doing, they would have known where there are lapses and therefore improve the electoral process. INEC should have a mechanism for managing non-compliance because it has fallen short of this. We are scoring INEC low here. Allowing political parties to have a seat in INEC to reduce complaints is also a necessity.”
The Panel Moderator and Arise News ace broadcaster, Charles Aniagolu, explained the significance of the programme ahead of the 2027 polls.
“There’s no politicking here but to x-ray the challenges of election, systemic failure and provide solution”, he said.
Aniagolu said the failure to respect the will of the people is a great albatross to improving the electoral process in Nigeria.
The CEO of NOI Polls, Dr Chike Nwangwu in his presentation, “NOI Polls: Public Perception Survey”, said with sustained commitment and collaboration with key actors in the political process, Nigeria has the opportunity to make the 2027 general elections a continental benchmark for credible, technology-driven democracy.
Friday Olokor
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