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We Should Go Back To Option A4 – Prince Benebo

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Hon Prince Benebo

Hon Prince Benebo

With months of prepara
tion and concentration of efforts and resources to conduct the governorship election in the least populated state in Nigeria, many did not envisage any issues around adequacy in availability and functionality of materials for that election. But it is now history that the card readers again failed in that election thereby raising concerns and questions about this device that is intended to tame the evil of electoral fraud in Nigeria.
In this interview with Opaka Dokubo, Hon. Prince Benebo, one time local government chairman and governorship aspirant  in Rivers State proffers a way forward in our electoral process among other issue, in the polity. Excerpts.
What do you make of the fight against corruption at the federal level?
Fighting against corruption is good for the overall good of the country. If the problem of corruption is objectively addressed, it will indeed help this country considerably. Having said that, I believe that the fight against corruption is not the only promise made by the president during his electioneering campaigns.
The president, we are told, is a man of integrity and the test of integrity is the ability to keep to your word. Therefore, keeping to his promises to the Nigerian electorate by fighting corruption and also creating jobs, as well as addressing the security challenges will go a long way to show to the entire nation that indeed he is a man of integrity. If he does that, he will be a role model to young men and women as well as young politicians in this country.
Are You Impressed by the way the fight against corruption has gone so far?
Well, he has started the fight against corruption but we also hear some politicians who are crying that the fight is one sided, that its only PDP members that are being witch-haunted. I believe that party affinity does not limit corruption. Every human being has that tendency to be corrupt, including party, government and so on. Therefore the fight against corruption should be holistic. In other words, irrespective of party leanings, if somebody is reported to be corrupt the government should take necessary steps to investigate and prosecute that person and recover the money. For us to assess the success or otherwise of Mr. President’s fight against corruption, we need to see the facts we will be given. For instance, number of persons arrested, amount of money recovered, number of persons prosecuted and how effectively corruption has been prevented. Indeed the fight against corruption must include the prevention of corruption.
When these facts are made available, we will be in a position to say yes there is fight against corruption. It is not enough for party faithful to shout that they are fighting against corruption.
Is the political atmosphere in Rivers State conducive for development?
Well, as one who does not belong to either of the two dominat parties, my own objective assessment of issues is that when there is instability, it breeds further instability and adversely affects economic growth and development generally.
Election was conducted and somebody was declared winners by INEC. Others said there was no election. All of them went to the tribunal, presented their facts, the tribunal looked at those facts and looked at the law and took a decision which nullified the governorship election and some other legislative elections. Now the governor has gone on appeal.
The practice in Nigeria is that there is a stay of execution of judgement. If it were a place like the United States, the governor will be out of office until a superior court overturns that decision of the lower court. But the reverse is the case in Nigeria and that’s what is keeping the governor in office. Now that the case continues, all of them or the other. In the face of such situation, there can be no stable development.
What  do  you make of the  black   Monday  by the APC  and  white  Friday by the PDP in Rivers  State?
This is tied to the issue of political instability in the state. Yes, in a democratic society people are free to air their views, people are free to embark on peaceful protests. But that protest should not degenerate to create crisis or to cause a breakdown of law and order in the society. At the same time, I want to say that Rivers State is bigger than PDP or APC. Parties come and go. In the 1960s, we saw the NCNC, Action Group, NPC. They are gone. Nigeria remains. We also saw the NPN, UPN, NPP< GNPP, PRP.
They have all come and gone. We also saw the SDP  and the NRC. They have all come and gone. Now we are in this era. The truth is that in terms of membership, the PDP  and the APC probably have more members but it time will come and we will not see them.
They can lawfully do whatever they intend to do but it has to be according to law.
Your  feeling about  Bayelsa  elections
Well, I do not have personal preference for either candidate since I have not got details about them, both in character and manifesto. But even if I have personal preference, the ultimate decision lies with the people of Beyelsa. That is democracy. Sovereignty lies with the people and it is they that can surrender their sovereignty through the social contract, through the election and say we give you four years to govern us. Which ever way they decide, to me they have made their wise decision.
The election is already on and I think the people should vote not against their conscience and they should know the candidates and not for them to regret after they have made the choice my advice to the candidates first and foremost, and indeed the parties, is that once the election is conducted, and also seen to be credible, free and fair, they should be courageous enough to congratulate your opponent. It is about service, every one wants to serve that state.
On the other hand, if any one has reason to dispute the outcome of  the election, there are legal processes.
I will advise all of them to follow the due process of law and not to take the law into their hands in the interest of peace, progress and development of Beyelsa.
The overall interest of that state and the people should override individual ambitions.
Your  thoughts on the performance of the card  reader machines in Bayelsa
My own thought about this is that, in Nigeria, there are people who are obstacles to doing the right thing.
The late president Yar’Adau set up a committee to review the electoral process and to make recommendations on the way forward. That committee was headed by retired Chief Justice Uwais and there were other notable members like Prof Bolaji Akinyemi. Even Prof. Atahiru Jega was a member and  part of their recommendation was the Option A4, open ballot system for Nigeria. We tested it under the SDP and NRC era and it clearly reflected the true voting pattern of the people.
President Jonathan submitted that recommendation to the National Assembly but the National Assembly deleted that recommendation.
Jega and his team brought in card readers and we’re all living witnesses to what we’re experiencing. Even in the last general elections, so much crisis was created.
The election has been won and lost, agreed but those problems are still there with us. If in a state election that they have used so many months to plan is having this type  of problem where the name of a former president is disappearing, then what hope has the common man in that electoral system that they’re applying?
I remember watching a television program where a legislator was making the point that he could not understand how a peaceful state like Kogi could record only 40% PVC distribution while Borno that was in crisis achieved over 90% distribution rate.
And even though many people had moved to other states, Borno returned up to one million votes in the election. There are indeed a lot of questionable issues in the way that election was conducted. It has come and gone but if this issue is not addressed, perhaps one day it might  lead to something else.
My take on this is that if INEC knows that their machine is not working, they should remove those machines. My recommendation is that we should go back to Option A4, Open Ballot system. I don’t know what we are afraid of. It is your inalienable right to vote for who you want and not to vote for who you don’t want. I think it is a lot easier to rig election in the system in place than under the Option A4.
Is  your ambition still alive to be Governor of Rivers State?
With every sense of humility my desire is to serve the people of Rivers State in the capacity as governor and I believe that I will serve them right. That desire is alive and well. I believe that Rivers people need a very committed, honest, pragmatic person to serve them. Service needs humility. You need humility to serve people and so having gone round this state, and seen the people, they themselves recognise that fact. But it is this lack of internal democracy in the parties that has been the problem.
Yes, I am still ready to go into contest for the position of governor of Rivers State.
Do  you have a time frame?
The time frame depends on what I’m working on and at the appropriate time it will be made known to the people. I know that time will come and the people will recognise who indeed is ready, willing and humble enough to serve Rivers State in the capacity of governor. As long as god fathers are installing people and not the people themselves, as long as there is no internal democracy in the parties and manipulation is going on, any governor who emerges will not be able to sincerely committedly, humbly serve this state.
I know that is only in this part of the world that people only one who has amassed wealth that can go in for governor. In being a governor you’re not going in to do business, you’re going in there to serve people. It is the people who are supposed the candidate to go in so they can own the government and make that government accountable to them.
Is this realistic here?
We might say it’s not realistic but, believe me, time is coming for that because those who say they will not make available their five naira or two hundred naira to support a candidate even when they know that this candidate is going in for what is good for them, when those candidates who are imposed by godfathers and money bags come into those offices, they pay more through the education system, the healthcare system roads and all kinds of ways.

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Kwankwaso Agrees To Rejoin APC, Gives Terms, Conditions

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The 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has given terms and conditions to rejoin the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sen. Kwankwaso, while addressing a gathering at his Kano residence, said any political alliance must recognise and respect the interests of his party and political movement.

The former two-term governor went down memory lane to recall how they founded the APC but were used and dumped.

In his words, “…those calling on us to join APC, we have agreed to join the APC but on clear agreement that protects and respects the interest of my party, NNPP and my political movement, Kwankwasiyya. No state where you go that you don’t have NNPP and Kwankwasiyya. We have gubernatorial candidates, senatorial candidates and others.

“We are ready to join APC under strong conditions and promises. We will not allow anyone to use us and later dump us.

“We were among the founding fathers of the APC and endured significant persecution from various security agencies while challenging the previous administration.

“Yet when the party assumed power, we received no recognition or appreciation for our sacrifices, simply because we didn’t originate from their original faction.

“We are not in a hurry to leave the NNPP; we are enjoying and have peace of mind. But if some want a political alliance that would not disappoint us like in the past, we are open to an alliance. Even if it is the PDP that realised their mistakes, let’s enter an agreement that will be made public,” Sen. Kwankwaso stated.

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I Would Have Gotten Third Term If I Wanted – Obasanjo 

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed long-standing claims that he once sought to extend his tenure in office, insisting he never pursued a third term.

Speaking at the Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, Chief Obasanjo said there is no Nigerian, living or dead, who can truthfully claim he solicited support for a third term agenda.

“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. And there is no Nigerian, dead or alive, that would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term,” the former president declared.

Chief Obasanjo argued that he had proven his ability to secure difficult national goals, citing Nigeria’s debt relief during his administration as a much greater challenge than any third term ambition.

“I keep telling them that if I could get debt relief, which was more difficult than getting a third term, then if I wanted a third term, I would have got it too,” he said.

He further cautioned against leaders who overstay in power, stressing that the belief in one’s indispensability is a “sin against God.”

On his part, former President Goodluck Jonathan said any leader who failed to perform would be voted out of office if proper elections were conducted.

Describing electoral manipulation as one of the biggest threats to democracy in Africa, he said unless stakeholders come together to rethink and reform democracy, it may collapse in Africa.

He added that leaders must commit to the kind of democracy that guarantees a great future for the children where their voices matter.

He said: “Democracy in Africa continent is going through a period of strain and risk collapse unless stakeholders came together to rethink and reform it. Electoral manipulation remains one of the biggest threats in Africa.

“We in Africa must begin to look at our democracy and rethink it in a way that works well for us and our people. One of the problems is our electoral system. People manipulate the process to remain in power by all means.

“If we had proper elections, a leader who fails to perform would be voted out. But in our case, people use the system to perpetuate themselves even when the people don’t want them.

“Our people want to enjoy their freedoms. They want their votes to count during elections. They want equitable representation and inclusivity. They want good education. Our people want security. They want access to good healthcare. They want jobs. They want dignity. When leaders fail to meet these basic needs, the people become disillusioned.”

The dialogue was also attended by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto diocese of Catholic Church among others who all stressed that democracy in Africa must go beyond elections to include accountability, service, and discipline.

 

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Rivers Assembly Resumes Sitting After Six-Month Suspension

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The Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday resumed plenary session after a six-month state of emergency imposed on the state by President Bola Tinubu elapsed on Wednesday midnight.

President Bola Tinubu had lifted the emergency rule on September 17, with the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state assembly asked to resume duties on September 18.

The plenary was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, at the conference hall located within the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

The conference hall has served as the lawmakers’ temporary chamber since their official chamber at the assembly complex on Moscow Road was torched and later pulled down by the state government.

The outgone sole administrator of the state, Ibok-Ete Ibas, could not complete the reconstruction of the assembly complex as promised.

Recall that on March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the prolonged political standoff between Fubara and members of the House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

He subsequently suspended the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and lawmakers for six months and installed a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), to manage the state’s affairs.

The decision sparked widespread controversy, with critics accusing the president of breaching the Constitution.

However, others hailed the move as a necessary and pragmatic step.

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