‘President, Governors Shouldn’t Appoint Electoral Officers’

A erstwhile subordinate of the National Assembly, Senator Ikechukwu Obiorah, has advocated for the president of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and authorities electoral officers not beryllium appointed by the president and governors.

He disclosed that implicit 90 percent of each elections truthful acold held successful Nigeria, since independency till date, person been brazenly rigged oregon perverted, frankincense causing the wide poorness and underdevelopment being experienced successful the country.

Obiorah, who represented Anambra South Senatorial territory betwixt 2007 to 2011 successful the National Assembly, blamed the non-existence of honest, transparent, escaped and just elections successful Nigeria for the wide poorness and gross underdevelopment successful the federation presently.

The lawyer and writer stated this successful his treatise connected “The Philosophy of Elections and Nigeria’s Fake Democracy”,  made disposable to journalists successful Abuja connected Sunday.

Worried by this development, the erstwhile national lawmaker has projected a law amendment that volition guarantee that the powerfulness to name electoral bodies-Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and State Independent National Electoral Commission (SIECs)- is taken distant from some the President and Governors and vested successful a neutral assemblage which would trigger processes successful question for lifting Nigeria retired poverty.

A projected measure to that effect has already been sent to some the Senate and the House of Representatives by Senator Obiorah.

The erstwhile Senator reasoned that had the radical been allowed to beryllium exercising the powerfulness to freely elite their leaders since 1960, Nigeria would, by now, beryllium a afloat developed federation by the archetypal satellite standards and ramifications.

According to him, “Since Independence, 90 percent of each elections, Parliamentary, Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship, House of Assembly, Local Government Council elections, person been brazenly stolen oregon rigged oregon perverted oregon altogether thwarted oregon nullified.

“In different words, Nigerians person ne'er truly and voluntarily chosen their leaders, nor person Nigerians ever been governed with their due consent and participation.

“The lack of honorable elections makes ours a fake democracy, period.

“In Nigeria, the elemental but achy origin of stealing and rigging of elections is that those vested with powerfulness to name the electoral bodies and unit were themselves oregon their governmental parties oregon their preferred candidates, contestants successful the aforesaid elections. It is conscionable similar making a idiosyncratic a Judge successful his ain case.

“Right from Independence, the past Prime Minister, and later, the President, was ever cloaked with the powerfulness to name the commissioners and elder officers of the electoral bodies liable for the behaviour of each elections successful Nigeria.

“However, by virtuousness of the 1999 Constitution, the powerfulness of appointing the State electoral bodies liable for conducting section authorities elections was transferred to the State Governors.

“Consequently, the satellite has been witnessing the Soviet Union benignant results declared from Nigeria’s section authorities elections, wherever the Governor’s governmental party, successful astir cases, scores 100% victory.

“The satellite has besides been proceeding large cries and protestations against rigging and seeing the avalanche of tribunal cases that be each different elections successful Nigeria for which the President appoints the electoral bodies and officers”, helium noted.

Saying that it is precise important to marque Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) and physics transmission of results via INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV), legally mandatory successful the behaviour of Nigerian elections, Obiorah pointed retired that these systems cannot lick the occupation of predetermination rigging without the electoral bodies’ neutrality and integrity due to the fact that BVAS and IReV are susceptible to manipulation.

As a mode retired of this problem, Obiorah is proposing that the powerfulness for the assignment of electoral bodies beryllium taken distant from some the Governors and the President and vested successful a neutral assemblage which would trigger processes successful question for lifting Nigeria retired poverty.

His words, “I do, astir humbly, suggest a law amendment to supply for the constitution of a new, genuinely and virtually Independent National Electoral Commission, (new INEC), charged with the work of conducting each elections for each elected offices successful the 3 tiers of government, the Federal, State and Local Government.

“I do, also, suggest that the caller INEC beryllium composed and constituted by thirteen commissioners, six of whom would beryllium elected by the under-listed six Nigerian labour and nonrecreational organizations, and six commissioners nominated by the United Nations and 1 commissioner – perceiver nominated by Transparency International, totalli...