Eminent stakeholders at a Citizen Town Hall on Electoral Reforms have urged the National Assembly to hasten the passage of the Bill for an Act to establish the National Electoral Offences Commission (NEOC).
The stakeholders, including the chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu; Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah; Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN) underscored the need for reforms in the electoral process, stressing that it will improve the quality of public leadership and governance at all levels and also increase trust in democratic institutions.
Noting that speedy passage of the electoral Bill is essential to addressing decline in the quality of elections and loss of faith in democracy, they blamed the political class for opposing reforms in the electoral process.
Recall that the Electoral offences Commission (Establishment) Bill 2020, sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Abubakar Kyari and co-sponsored by Sen. vie Omo-Agege, passed first reading on February 27 and passed the second reading on March 4.
The Citizens’ Town Hall meeting was organised by Yiaga Africa in partnership with EU-SDGN; European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), Albino Foundation, International Press Centre (IPC), Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), CLEEN Foundation, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Westminster Foundation among others and was also livestreamed on the Daily Trust website www.dailytrust.com.ng.
Speaking at the event, INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, stressed that the timely establishment of the National Electoral Offences Commission will improve the quality of elections in the country, noting that the nation’s policy on persons who undermine the election needs to be clearly spelt out.
He recalled that during a retreat for federal lawmakers on the review of the electoral legal framework in March, he urged the National Assembly to hasten the passage of the Bill for the establishment of the Electoral Offences Commission.
Prof Yakubu, who noted that the nation could no longer afford to foot drag on the legislation which would provide the framework for dealing with impunity and banditry in elections, said that electoral offenders are becoming more brazen because they are not effectively prosecuted.
On the cost of running elections, the INEC chairman lamented that the commission has been dragged to court over 2000 times, adding, most times they need to hire lawyers.
He said, “some of the cases are not intended by people who filed them, but we have to hire lawyers.
“Elections are expensive because we also conduct bye-elections including senatorial elections. We continue to spend on these elections. We have approached the lawmakers to pass the Bill, while we remain resolute to conduct a free and fair election.”
On his part, Bishop Kukah, said the assumption that Nigeria has clearly transitioned from dictatorship to democracy is not true.
He decried the level of greed among the political class which manifests in the electoral process, saying it is creating room for the judiciary to undermine the democratic process.
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese who lampooned politicians for being indiscipline, said that there are inconsistencies in the nation’s democratic process.
“We are assuming that we have a clear transition process from dictatorship to democracy but this is not really true. We have greed and it is manifesting in the whole electoral process creating a room for the judiciary to undermine our democracy,” he said.
He urged the judiciary to function in line with its mandate, adding that politicians must obey the wishes of the people.
On his part, the AGF, Abubakar Malami, said that the nation’s electoral process is evolving and developing.
He said, “As at 1999, the system was unpredictable and very chaotic which is gradually becoming a thing of the past.
“Pre-election matters in 1999 can be in court for seven to 10 years. At the moment there are legal frameworks on the conduct of electoral matters.”
A senior lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, also speaking at the event, said politicians see elections as a do-or-die affair.
He said INEC ought to be independent in line with Section 153 of the constitution just as he noted that electoral offenders should be barred for contesting an election for a period of 10 years or above to serve as a deterrent to others.
On his part, Festus Keyamo (SAN), called for the independence of the law enforcement agents.
The Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, said there are two years and seven months to the 2023 General Elections, adding that the challenges facing the nation’s electoral process are enormous.
Noting that the challenges require leadership and decisive actions from diverse stakeholders, he added, “this is why Yiaga Africa and our partners are hosting this town-hall to address the declining quality of elections and loss of faith in the democratic institutions due to impunity, exclusion and unbridled corruption.
“If the electoral process is reformed, it will improve the quality of public leadership and governance at all levels and also increase public trust in democracy and democratic institutions”
