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Ezugwu: NASS must end antipeople legislative postures

Chief Willy Ezugwu is the Secretary General, Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP). In this interview, he speaks on the controversy over the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and Senate’s screening and confirmation of new commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). FELIX NWANERI reports

What is your reaction to the Senate’s rejection of the nomination of the Personal Assistant to the President on New Media, Lauretta Onochie, as a commissioner in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)?

I commended the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for listening to the voice of reason and flowing with public opinion rather than maintaining its traditional rubber stamp disposition to all executive requests at the detriment of the overall national interest.

It pays for all elected public officers to listen to the people from whom they derive their powers and are holding offices in trust for their well-being, with a view to improving on the rapidly eroding public confidence in our political office holders.

While we commend the senators for not allowing the controversial nomination of Onochie to sail through, we warn of a repeat of the Ibrahim Magu template, where the executive unilaterally imposed him on the country in perpetual acting capacity as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against the wish of the people. We all know how Magu’s tenure as EFCC’s acting chairman ended, proving that corruption allegation against him by the Department of State Services (DSS) leading to his rejection by the 8th Senate was correct.

Some people will argue that there is no linkage between the Magu’s case and that of Onochie given her submission before the Senate screening committee that she has resigned her membership of the ruling party…

Just as a once corrupt person will always be corrupt, a partisan player like Onochie would have remained partisan even as INEC commissioner. It will be disastrous for our already struggling democracy if the executive is allowed to appoint a fanatically partisan character like Onochie through the backdoor, using the Magu template. My advice, therefore, is that the president should shelve overbearing attitude he has continued to subtly exhibit on the federal lawmakers in the remaining less than two years of his tenure. All federal lawmakers, Mr. President, and presidential aides should focus more on life after office rather than generating controversies through unending opposition to the welfare of the citizens manifesting in numerous ill-conceived policies and executive bills meant to gag the people and the media.

What are your thoughts on the controversy trailing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, particularly plans by the National Assembly to stop the proposal for electronic transmission of election results from the polling units?

Members of the National Assembly, particularly the principal officers and their possible collaborators should retrace their steps if they are truly working to pass the Electoral Act Amendment Bill with the controversial insertion of a strange Section 50(2), which completely outlaws transmission of votes by electronic means at a time Nigerians are desirous of a shift to electronic voting. The federal lawmakers would be deliberately pitching Nigerians against the President Muhammadu Buhari administration if the clause banning electronic transmission of results is allowed to scale through the legislative process. Nigeria at this time should be thinking of reducing cost of elections by adoption of electronic voting system, which should also have provisions for Diaspora voting and allow INEC to determine its full or partial implementation at any time. That is a safer option and a middle ground for both pro and the anti-electronic voting system advocates.

What would be your advice to Nigerians if the legislators insist on jettisoning electronic transfer of polls’ results?

The lawmakers should know that they would be pushing Nigerians to the wall if they fail to make popular laws that would guarantee free, fair and credible elections in 2023 and we will join all lovers of democracy in Nigeria to resist the current move to return the country to the path of electoral uncertainty. I am convinced that the National Assembly has not lived up to its responsibilities to the Nigerian electorate and their constituents, but refusing to legalise electronic transmission of electoral results to the INEC server would be a deathblow to the country’s democracy.

I have followed the conversation and the controversy trailing the reported ban on electronic transmission of election results and found it unimaginable as INEC had severally expressed its determination to adopt electronic voting, including the transmission of results by electronic means. One wonders why Nigerians can carry out bank transactions using electronic means, which does not require the internet to make payments, while the lawmakers are attempting to ban electronic transmission of electoral outcomes from the polling units.

At the moment, INEC is deploying electronic system into the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration process, proving its readiness to integrate electronic technologies into electoral processes. So, the legislators, particularly their principal officers, must not destroy our democracy by immediately ending the anti-people legislative postures of the 9th Assembly because they are serving Nigerians, not a particular political party or Mr. President.

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