Politics
Elections: ‘2011’ll Be Worse Than 2007, Unless…
The Chairman of the Hope Democratic Party (HDP) in Rivers State, Lady Igoniwari Halliday says only the implementation of the Justice Uwais-led Electoral reform report would chart a new course for democracy in Nigeria.
Lady Halliday who made the declaration while speaking with journalists in Port Harcourt said the 2011 elections would be worse than the 2007 elections if nothing concrete was done to implement the recommendations of the report.
She noted that it would be unfair to allow an incumbent Governor or President to remain in office to contest elections saying that such situation encourages electoral malpractices and rigging.
Apart from calling for a constitutional review exercise, the Hope Democratic Party Chairman called on the government to fulfill its electoral promise to Nigerians, alleging that the ruling party had derailed from the vision of the founding fathers of the country and has unleashed hardship on the populace.
For instance, Lady Halliday faulted the action of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on their decision on the health of the President, saying, “the Federal Executive Council suddenly became the Saudi doctors to give the President a clean bill of health to continue in office even though the man is lying motionless in Saudi hospital.”
The party chieftain called on all Nigerians to embrace the party as it was capable of bringing about the change Nigerians yearn for.
In Rivers State, she said the party was set to go into the grassroots by touching the lives of the people, adding that the opposition in a proper democracy was the instrument of checks and balances in governance.
She is also assured that HDP would continue to be vocal against any unpopular government policies in Rivers State by providing critical views capable of directing those in power.
For her, the only way to make government effective is to incorporate the views and feelings of the opposition lamenting that democracy in Nigeria is still autocratic in nature.