‘INEC Chairman Appointment, Critical To Election Success’

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on Monday urged the Senate to adopt the recommendations of the Justice Mohammed Uwais-led Electoral Reform Committee on the appointment of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman.

Mr Nkem Lemchi, the Secretary of the Lagos State chapter of APGA, who made the call in an interview with newsmen in Lagos, said the mode of appointment of the chairman of the commission was critical to the success of any election.

He argued that any chairman appointed by a serving president could never be loyal to the country, but to the president.

The party secretary said the INEC chairman, if appointed by another body other than the president, “can never be impartial.

“A situation whereby INEC is not independent in terms of revenue and a situation whereby the chief executive of the nation appoints the chairman is morally wrong.”

The APGA chieftain explained that such a chairman would be subject to the man who appointed him and gave him his meal ticket, adding that no one would be convinced of his sincerity and allegiance to the nation.

“The Senate should have the courage to accept and adopt the recommendations in the Uwais committee report. This is what we are agitating for because without it, we are going back to the status quo,” he said.

Lemchi said the Jan. 2 and March 4 dates proposed for the 2011 elections by the Senate were okay for Nigerians if the electoral reform could be completed before then.

Meanwhile the The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Niger State has said it will not impose any candidates on the people in the 2011 general elections.

The Chairman, Alhaji Abdulrahaman Enangi, made the promise at Kuchi Village in Doko District on Tuesday.

The Bida District correspondent of The Tide On Sunday reports that the pledge was made when a retired federal civil servant, Dr Jonathan Jiya, registered as a PDP member.

Enangi, represented by an ex-officio member of the party, Alhaji Yahaya Hussaini-Emilugi, said the party would allow the people to vote for candidates of their choice during the elections.

According to him, imposing candidates on the people amounts to disenfranchising them, which is “a bad omen for our nascent democracy”.

Enangi said further that the party would not present candidates apart from those supported by the people, adding that “the people’s choice is what we will go with”.