Politics
In Search Of Solution To Nigeria’s Electoral Problems
Recently the Senate annual retreat ended in Enugu with issues bordering on the proposed constitutional and electoral reform taking centre stage. Apart from using the brimming opportunity afforded by the retreat to reminiscence on their activities in the preceding year, the Senate also uses the forum to search for functional electoral system.
Also, late last month the launching of the Face of a Nation: Democracy in Nigeria, Foreign Relations and National Image at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos opened another window for Nigerians to chart a new course for the nation’s problematic electoral system. The current efforts at reforming the nation’s electoral system formed major part of the discussion.
President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua declared the readiness of his administration to provide the necessary support for the National Assembly in the ongoing process to amend the constitution and the Electoral Act preparatory to 2011 election insisting that once the process was effectively completed, it would go a long way in checking the myriads of social ills bedeviling the country.
He noted that once the issue of election was addressed, every other thing would fall in place, adding that since the people were very eager to be counted in the process of governance, getting their confidence had become paramount.
The President of the Senate, Senator David Mark stated that the Senate had a number of significant bills before it for consideration, noting that one of the most pressing issues has been that of electoral review. According to him, the major issue before the Senate and as the elected representatives of the people was how to provide the nation with an enduring electoral system, true representation of the wishes and aspirations of the people of Nigeria.
He made it clear that transparent, free and fair elections bestow legitimacy on leadership and create the vital link between government and people. In his words: “We cannot overemphasise the need for a well articulated and functional electoral system that meets all standards of creditability, acceptability, goodwill, fairness and justice”. Basically, as it were Mark then took on those calling for the removal of the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Maurice Iwu, as panacea to the problems plaguing the nation’s electoral system as only trivialising an important national issue. He said that removing the chief electoral officer should not be the utmost importance at this point, but that efforts should be made to ensure that the on-going review of the electoral process be conclude before next general election.
The Senate President stated that the theme of the retreat “legislating for an Enduring Electoral System in Nigeria” was apt as it has come at a time when the Nation is working assiduously to catch up with other developed democracies of the world by ensuring that the process that throw up a transparent electoral process is entrenched. Admittedly he said, “there is room for improvement in our electoral system and I also admit that there is need for reform in our system. But may I quickly add that our process is certainly not the worst in the world as some self-styled political analysts would want to believe and let me say further and more emphatically this time that the removal of Prof. Maurice Iwu is not the review or reform of our electoral process. Removal of Iwu is not synonymous with electoral reform or review. Those calling for the removal of Iwu as the first step are trivializing a very serious national issue.
“There are some people who however, are of the opinion that the electoral system in Nigeria has progressively posed problems since our Independence. What is before us now, is to see how best we can reverse this trend and opinion so as to ensure that subsequent elections, there is less rancour, acrimony and disagreement.
And also as Nigeria has been at the forefront of championing democratic processes, regionally in West Africa and on the continent, we cannot afford to fail.”
Mark also emphasised the need for an enduring electoral system in order to sustain democracy and for Nigeria to play her role in the international arena, where many countries look up to the country for support and leadership.
Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi who presided at the launching of the Face of a nation. Democracy in Nigeria, set the ball rolling by drawing attention to some issues in the electoral reform and the need for the elected National Assembly members to ensure the completion of the electoral process before 2011 elections.
He also made comparison between option A4 and open-secret ballot system, insisting that the latter is the best system for the electoral system in the country.
There is now a consensus that it is the better part of wisdom for the National Assembly to concentrate on just electoral reform than lump them with constitutional reforms.
According to him, 2011 is too critical for the survival of this country for us to miss the opportunity to put a credible electoral system in place, at least, a year before the actual elections starts. Therefore, he appealed to the National Assembly to forgo the exercise of a wholesale revision of the 1999 constitution and concentrate on the various electoral reform bills before it.
Secondly, he noted we need to be careful that the solution which we propose will not do more damage than good.
Let me say with all the emphasis at my command that option A4 is not the solution. It is inappropriate and inapplicable. The historical facts are that option A4 was used for party primaries was that contests started at ward level and state level before the national level. So much has been said about voters queuing behind pictures of candidates. It did not happen all over the country. The common feature in all the elections was the use of the open-secret system, where ballots are marked secretly but cast openly, is the best system. That is what we should be emphasising and advocating. The use of the open secret system, where ballots are marked secretly but cast openly, is the best system”.
Former Senate President Senator Ken Nnamani, in his own presentation submitted that every development starts from the ballot box, not necessarily election, even as he admitted that the 2006 Electoral Act passed under his leadership in the Senate omitted certain things that would have helped the electoral process in the country.
He listed four things that National Assembly should endeavour to include in the electoral reform namely: Appointment of the chairman of the electoral body not be done by a sitting executive recommended by the Justice Mohammed Uwais-led Electoral Reform Committee, no candidate must be declared winner until all judicial interventions have been concluded, onus of proof should be on the candidate not the electoral management body and the Independent National Electoral Commission should be autonomous.
Nnamani appealed to the National Assembly to conclude everything on the electoral reform before 2011 election, adding that the Electoral Act is not the problem but the inability to apply it properly by the relevant institutions entrusted by law with such power.
Noting that the electoral process would be better if things are done accordingly.
Our problem is not electoral reform, our biggest problem is the lack of free and fair election in the country.
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has revealed that the reforms initiated and implemented by his administration led to the saving of the sum of N2.3 billion for the local government councils.
The governor disclosed this recently at the opening ceremony of an orientation programme organised for newly-elected local government council chairmen, vice chairmen, councilors and principal officers at Perdis Hotel, Akenfa.
Gov Diri stated that on assumption of office in 2020, some local government councils were highly indebted and unable to pay salaries but his administration took measures that resulted in regular payment of salaries, execution of projects and saving of funds.
The Bayelsa State Chief Executive restated his call on the Federal Government to create additional local councils in the state, saying it was injustice for some states to have more than 40 councils and receiving monthly allocation from the Federation Accounts Allocation Commission (FAAC), while the state had only eight.
He charged the newly elected local government officials to make good use of the two-day workshop to equip themselves with the requisite knowledge to carry out their responsibilities.
The governor also called on them to work as a team to ensure that development was felt at the grassroots.
“Local governments as at 2020 were unable to pay salaries, particularly Nembe, Ogbia, Ekeremor and Sagbama. There was some form of dissatisfaction in the system.
“After I went through the recommendations of the Deputy Governor, whom I entrusted with investigating the local government, I wasted no time in approving the recommendations.
“The recommendations included the ban on loans from any source by local government chairmen without approval of the governor; compulsory savings by every council; and the division of balance after payment of salaries into 60 and 40 per cent respectively. One part was for compulsory savings and the other to project implementation and immediate commencement of computerisation of their payroll as well as compulsory quarterly award of projects by each council chairman.
“We found a lot of fraud in the local government system. But as it stands today, our councils have N2.3billion as a result of the combination of the factors of reforms and proper supervision of that tier of government.
“The breakdown is N400million compulsory savings while N1.9 billion for capital projects. This is aside from the one done by caretaker committees in terms of project execution within the short period they stayed”, the governor said.
Gov Diri assured of his administration’s commitment to support the councils to achieve their goals and expressed confidence that the new officials would meet the expectations of the people.
“We firmly believe that good governance begins at the grassroots level. That is precisely why we have gathered here to equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge to improve our local government administration and enhance service delivery.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
The Eze Oruamara/Regent of Okwuzi Kingdom in Ogba/ Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the State, Eze Victor Afaka, has sued for peace among the political class in the State.
Eze Afaka made the appeal while speaking with The Tide on the sidelines of the governorship victory thanksgiving service by the Ogba Egbema /Ndoni Chapter of the Simplified Movement in Omoku.
He said Governor Fubara should be allowed to display the vision that God has given to him to govern the state.
According to him, since every administration has its term and tenure, the man presently at the helm of affairs in Rivers State must be given the opportunity to complete his own term and tenure.
“I advise politicians to sheathe their sword and allow peace to reign. Politics and governance have their terms and tenure. When it is your tenure, you have your vision to display; when you conclude that vision God has given you as a leader of your community or of a state, you step aside and leave the next person to display the vision God has given to him” he said.
The traditional ruler said he and his people, including the youth, women and the Ogbakor Egbema, decided to attend the service because of the excellent vision of Governor Fubara
“We are happy, Okwuzi people are in full support of the government, the government of His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara”, he added.
He said that the governor’s peaceful disposition to governance has endeared him to His Kingdom, noting that Okwuzi kingdom was already a beneficiary of the present administration’s purposeful governance as the Omoku/Okwuzi road abandoned 10 years ago, was nearing completion.
“ONELGA, Okwuzi are benefitting from his government.The road that was abandoned for ten years is being completed right now and we know that there are so many other things he will do for us”, he said.
While urging the state government to give desired attention to the Okwuzi General Hospital that is in a state of dilapidation, Eze Afaka entreated Governor Fubara not to be distracted, but to continue to promote peace and development across the State.
John Bibor
A group of North Central stakeholders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) has stormed the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, demanding the resignation of the National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja yesterday, the protesters said their demand followed his recent suspension by a faction of his ward executives and the alleged bribery allegation levelled against him by the Kano State government.
While they chanted solidarity songs and displayed several banners some of which read, “Ganduje must resign” and “Return the APC chairmanship to North Central,” the protesters appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, to consider returning the leadership of the party to the North Central.
Only on Tuesday, the Forum of APC State Chairmen had passed a vote of confidence on Ganduje, affirming their unalloyed support to him.
The protesters under the aegis of Concerned North Central APC Stakeholders lamented that the continued stay of Ganduje in office was a clear violation of the zoning principle in the party.
Mohammed Saba, who led the protesters, said unlike the 37 APC state chairmen, his people in the North Central have passed a vote of no confidence on the national chairman and equally demanded his immediate resignation.
Saba reiterated that the people of North Central felt betrayed when the position of APC national chairman was hijacked from them following the exit of Senator Abdullahi Adamu despite giving Tinubu the third highest votes after North West and South West at the 2023 presidential election.
He said, “We, the North Central APC Concerned Stakeholders, have resolved to unanimously agitate for our right and reclaim our mandate which was handed unto us by the National Convention of our great Party in 2022.
“Various sections of our constitution have established the procedure of replacing an executive member at all levels of the party in the event of death, resignation, incapacitation or expulsion from the party by any executive member.
“It is a fact that the emergence of Dr. Umar Ganduje as national chairman was done against the spirit and soul of the APC which is the constitution of our great party. This singular act has impacted negatively on us as a people in the North Central.
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