Electoral Act: Honours more in breach.

Posted by admin | 10 years ago | 2,721 times



Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola on Thursday charged residents in the state to utilise their voting power and vote out none performing elected office holders in 2015.

Fashola was speaking while delivering his goodwill message at the 15th Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture, held at Shell Hall, Muson Center, Onikan Lagos.

At the same occasion, Akin Oyebode, a Professor who delivered the lecture on the day, charged Nigerians to always be ready to vote out ruling parties – both at the federal and state levels – that have not performed according to their wish.

While delivering his address, Fashola said it leaves more to be desired when less than 50 percent registered voters vote on the day of election. Speaking further, he said every electioneering year presents golden opportunity for electorates to remove less performing candidates and return performing ones or their parties.

His words: "When you look at the result of our elections, you will struggle to see that 35 percent of registered voters come out to vote. Another opportunity now comes; it is a one in four years opportunity.

"Whether you like it or not, election has started already because permanent voters’ cards are being issued. Are you busy at work, stay at work. Those who wish things to happen, stay away from them, those who want things to happen, get involved with them. Someone will probably collect your card or return it if it was not used.

"What is happening in February 2015 is balloting out of the whole process of election. After balloting, disputes are resolved. When all that is finished, it is to return the valid candidates and remove the unsuccessful candidates”.

He explained election as a process that has actually began. He said once an individual picks a coach in football and does not get required result, that the next move would always be to sack such a coach. He expected therefore the same to be with elections.   “So, we are your servants, you should not be struggling the job with us. If you think we have not done the job well, sack us" he said.

He urged Nigerians to focus more on ideas that can drive democracy and move the nation forward rather than concentrating on promulgation of laws or redrafting of constitution, saying if good laws are operated by bad people, there will be no result.

"In all the places where democracy is practiced, it is all about ideas. The idea of a united Nigeria, can we take that away as what we want. In the few times we have had constitutional conferences; we have focused more on our laws and our constitution rather than ourselves.

"What are the values and ideals with which we want our nation to run? What is the Nigerian idea for the Nigerian ideal? Good law will do nothing if bad people operate them. Also, with the most badly drafted constitution in the hands of men and women of goodwill, a lot of good can be achieved.

"We should ask ourselves what kind of Nigeria we want. Our value system really is the problem. What is our sense of right and wrong? Is it right only because he is your kinsman or is it right all the time," Fashola said.

Earlier in his lecture, entitled "The Power of Your Vote" Professor Akin Oyebode said the people should not just continue to have more of the same and expect to make progress. "Quite frankly’ he said ‘I believe that democracy would not have come of age in this country except and unless and only to the extent that the people are able to vote ruling governments out of office in a free, fair and peaceful manner just as some of our neighbours have done.

"For me, change represents the touchstone of democratic praxis and the earlier this is brought to the consciousness of all and sundry, the better.

"Docility, helplessness and resignation in the face of misrule and arbitrariness should henceforth give rise to vigilance, mass action and protest for the protection of gains of the Democratic process."

Professor Oyebode who drew attention to many flaws in our Electoral Act, advocated for Electoral Offences Commission to take care of those who violate the provisions of the Electoral Act.

According to him: "The Electoral Act with its various amendments has been unable hitherto to win requisite confidence and assurance from stakeholders, including even the INEC, whose chairman just a couple of weeks ago brought a bag full of recommendations for amendments to the Act to the House of Representatives.

"Whereas 99(1) of the Electoral Act frowns against campaigning in public 90 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day, it is a notorious fact the provision has been flagrantly violated by some political parties and INEC been unable to rein in these violators, perhaps on account of lack of an electoral Offences Commission.

"Similarly, there are ample provisions in the Act aimed at ensuring fair and equitable media coverage for all political parties but it is an open secret that the contrary seem to be the order of the day.

"Indeed there is no gain saying the fact that the Electoral Act has been honoured more in its breach than its observance.

The disaster that heralded distribution of the permanent voters’ card as well as the questionable effort by INEC to increase and re-distribute polling units across the country has left a sour taste in the mouth.

"That both the political actors and the umpire himself betray little confidence in the ground rules of the contestation should convince all and sundry that we are indeed in dire straits."

 


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