Political Parties Wait On Electoral Reform
Professor Attahiru Jega, INEC chairman
But to INEC, everything is in top gear and preparations are going on. INEC has come out to declare that it is prepared for the election ether in January or April as earlier spelt out in its dual timetable released early in the year.
Many Nigerians including the real political actors have voiced their concerns about the lack of preparedness of INEC, and especially the political parties who are major players in the election. A prominent politician and former Deputy National Chairman (South west) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who is currently a member of the PDP Board of Trustee (BOT), Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, is one of those who have doubted the readiness of political parties and the preparedness of INEC to hold credible elections. He believes that the time is too short on all fronts.
Is INEC Ready?
Early this year, INEC released two tentative different timetables in readiness for the 2011 general elections. In the first timetable, all the elections, including the presidential election, were scheduled for January. If perhaps, the first plan failed, INEC said the elections could be held in April. This was before the crisis in INEC and the sack of its former chairman, Maurice Iwu.
To Alhaji Oyedokun: “Politics is necessarily based on party system. If the process of choosing party representatives is faulty, the whole system is likely to be faulty and it will collapse. In the present situation, if we look at Nigeria in that perspective, I will say that the parties are not ready to organise free and fair elections.
“To make them organise free and fair elections, they would first have authentic party register that can even be controlled from the centre. The primaries should be staggered in such a way that the real men, that is the accredited leaders, honest leaders, would go from place to place to monitor, to supervised and to organise primaries, so that we will find a situation where they elect people on fair basis. That is on the parties’ side.
“On the part of INEC, I believe sincerely that INEC is not ready. First of all, they have just appointed a new INEC chairman and federal commissioners and resident electoral commissioners. They have to undergo some process of training to groom them properly to handle elections. Then I go to the issue of voters register; the voters register in Nigeria is full of discrepancies, it has been seriously overloaded with fake names and many people are still left unregistered to vote. Many names of dead persons are in the register. It now looks as if with the appointment of new handlers, we are now putting a new wine in an old bottles, it won’t work.”
The National Chairman of Labour Party, Mr. Dan Nwanyanwu, and the Secretary General of Alliance for Credible Election, Mr. Ema Ezeazu, also spoke in the same vein, doubting the readiness of INEC and political actors.
Specifically, they said that the new INEC management team should first settle the issue of voters register, which they believe should take a long time to fix in order to ensure credible, free and fair election. They stated that the INEC as it is today is not ready for the election. They also insisted that INEC must begin with the process of giving Nigerians reliable voters register before thinking of holding any election.
Jega Promises Reorganisation
In line with this, the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, who resumed at INEC headquarters on Wednesday, vowed to embark on massive re-organisation of the commission with a view to making it impartial, efficient and law-abiding.
More importantly, he promised to make available a proper voter register for the 2011 general elections.
Jega assured Nigerians that he would lead an INEC that will be “impartial, efficient and law-abiding” which they crave for, while also pledging to fulfil these desires as soon as possible. He also pledged to conduct elections that would meet the aspiration of Nigerians and the international community.
He, however described his responsibility and that of his commissioners as awesome and very challenging, saying, “at this historic juncture in our country’s continued march towards democratisation and the continued strive to improve our electoral system, I wish to express my profound gratitude and that of my colleagues to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, for entrusting us with this awesome responsibility of carrying forward the determination to improve our country’s electoral system and gain for it the respect and confidence of our own citizens and of the international community.
“Our deep appreciation also goes to the distinguished senators of the federal republic, who screened and found us worthy to be confirmed in this very challenging responsibility as INEC national commissioners and chairman.”
Election Not INEC’s Task Alone
However, the new INEC chairman emphasised that the task and challenge of achieving free, fair and credible national elections is not the task of INEC alone, while making allusion especially to the political parties and their readiness for credible elections.
“Every stakeholder in our elections, including the political parties, political actors, voters, security agents, civil society organisations, the mass media, the National Assembly as well as the federal, state and local governments and traditional authorities all have very important roles to play in this regard.
“Without our collective resolve and determination, it will be difficult for our country to achieve the level of stability and credibility in elections that will be the envy of all.”
Prof. Jega also solicited the support of royal fathers, clerics, elders and all the citizens to continue to pray for them and the country so that “we shall achieve this great national objective that we all desire for ourselves.”
Already, Jega has directed all departmental heads at the INEC headquarters to prepare their handing over notes and situation reports.
“I want to assure you that while we encourage meticulousness, while we will ensure that square pegs are put in square holes, we will also be very fair and just in ways in which we address the re-organisation that is necessary in the commission. If you have been competent and effective, you have nothing to fear and worry and together, I believe we will work in order to re-position, to discharge our responsibilities as per the constitution, electoral acts and other laws.
“The aspiration of all Nigerians and the international community is that INEC should be truly independent and impartial and should be able to bring about credible, free and fair elections in 2011. I want to re-assure you and all Nigerians that I have come to this office committed to do my best and to ensure that these aspirations are actualised. I have no doubt that the national commissioners have the same commitment that I have in order to bring this about.”
No Visible Activity
At present, 60 political parties have been registered by the commission. However, that could be said to be on paper. Besides the ruling party, PDP, hardly can any of the other political parties, including the Action Congress and All Nigeria Peoples Party, be said to be visible in terms of political activities, membership, electoral education of both their members and electorate and other political awareness programmes necessary for credible and successful elections at that level.
However, the INEC Commissioner in charge of Public Affairs, Mr. Philip Umeadi, believes that INEC as presently constituted can conduct credible elections as scheduled. He assured Nigerians that the commission was ready for the elections.
He premised his faith on the work and preparation that had been going on in the commission before now. INEC, according to him, is an independent institution that has its workers in place and operates in a system following laid down procedures.
On the readiness of political parties, he stated that 60 political parties had been registered, while many more are still coming up. He expressed satisfaction at the level of preparedness for the elections, saying, “absolutely, we are satisfied with the preparation. The leadership of INEC as constituted will deliver. There is no qualms about that.”
But Umeadi also admitted that the time is very short. He stated that this is why INEC initially came up with two timetables, bearing in mind that the issue of electoral reform before the National Assembly could delay the electioneering process.
“It is not a cat and dog issue; there are legal requirements to be met. We are on top of the situation, and we are also dealing with the issue of political parties and party education,” he said.
All said and done, the aggregate opinion is that the time is very short for credible, free and fair elections to be held either in January or April next year. Nigerians are saying that the present voters register should never be used for the election. While calling for a completely different register, they believe that the political parties are not doing anything but only waiting for the money from the Federal Government, through INEC which would eventually not be used for the purpose of the elections but for the private needs of the politicians. Analysts also called for political and voter’s education which is very paramount for a successful elections.
If the promises of the labour activist turned INEC chairman is to become a reality, and to do that which he pledged for credible election to take place, the scheduled period may afterall not be feasible.
Prof. Jega, while speaking on these issues, said: “Obviously, an enlightened citizenry is as important and necessary for the success of the elections and the democratisation process in this country and I believe that we as a commission will leave no stone unturned in order to ensure that there is proper voter registration, there is proper voter education and then there is a well-organised, efficient and effective process of conducting elections in this country.”
Parties Getting Ready
At the parties national secretariat of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in Abuja, posters of various aspirants into elective offices were displayed. The aspirants were jostling for governorships and presidential slots. In spite of that, the usual electrifying mood that normally envelopes a party secretariat was still missing, not even when it is some months to the election.
The National Chairman of the party, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, however, said that the party is ready for the election. According to the second republic Speaker of the House of Representatives, “We are fully prepared for the election and we would contest all elective positions available.”
The party has equally set up a committee for their convention after which the candidates for various elective offices would be chosen.
Consequently not much is seen happening at the national secretariat of the Action Congress (AC) as the party seems not very much ready for the 2011 election. The secretariat of the party all over the country are waiting for directives from the national secretariat for the go- ahead. However in Ekiti State, the party chairman, Mr. Jide Awe, informed that the party is fully prepared for the election. But that must have been an exception as in other states across the federation, nothing much is being done towards the 2011 elections. The general fever gripling the members and the contestants are not present.
In spite of that, Jide Awe disclosed that intention forms for the Senate, House of Representatives and the House of Assembly have been released and over 120 aspirants had purchased the forms.
Consequently, he said: “We are still waiting for instructions in respect of further actions which include guidelines and other steps to be taken towards 2011 elections.”
The ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), did not fare better. The only indication that shows the party would participate in the election was that forms for various elective offices are already out. Members have equally responded and started buying the forms. Presently the party is battling with so many crises like leadership and mode of appointing delegates.
Other parties are in the same boat as confusion seems to reign. However, observers disclosed that there are many factors responsible for the dull political atmosphere, citing several cases in court in which only a few were dispensed off.
The good news, however, is that the House of Representatives has just passed the electoral reform bill, one of the essentials that would determine when the election would hold either early next year or mid next year. Hopefully, the Senate might pass the electoral bill next week which might brighten the chances of the election holding early next year.
After the passage of the electoral reform bill by both chambers of the National Assembly, the document would have to be harmonised after which it would be finally passed. Untill this was done, it seems activities within political parties would remain at the lowest ebb.
Hopefully in the next few weeks, all things being equal, life may return to the parties when the electoral reform would gear the parties into full action.
Comments
Post a Comment