National Conference delegates have accepted the recommendation that makes it mandatory for all candidates, seeking election to the office of President, Vice President, Governor, Deputy Governor or such other office, as may be deemed appropriate to participate or attend political debates.
The delegates also recommended a 10-year ban for violators of electoral process, even as they endorsed the setting up of election offences commission.
But such individuals can only get the harsh penalty if the alleged electoral offences are proven in courts. Apart from disqualification from election, the offenders would be barred from holding public position for a period not less than a decade.
The delegates are currently debating the report of the Conference’s Political Parties and Electoral Matters headed by the duo of Senator Iyorchia Ayu and Senator Ken Nnamani, both former Presidents of the Senate.
Also, the Conference endorsed the scrapping of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) and recommended that its functions be transferred to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). It was observed that the state electoral body has outlived its usefulness even as the delegates argued that the commission had become a tool used by governors to manipulate elections into local government councils.
Similarly, a proposal for the review of the Electoral Act to further strengthen INEC`s capacity to effectively monitor party conventions was accepted by the Conference.
Taking a holistic look at the electoral process, the conferees set the minimum academic qualification for candidates seeking elective positions. For instance, for the Presidential, Governorship and National Assembly candidates, first degree or its equivalent was set as the mandatory qualification.
Candidates seeking to contest for state House of Assembly and Local Government Chairmanship elections are expected to posses a first degree certificate or its equivalent while secondary school leaving certificate or its equivalent was set as the minimum academic qualification for candidates seeking election as local government councilors.
The delegates accepted a recommendation for the establishment of a Political Parties Regulation and Electoral Offences Commission to be vested with various responsibilities connected with electoral matters.
Among other functions, the Commission is expected to investigate all electoral frauds and related offences, identify, trace and prosecute political thuggery and other electoral offences as well as monitor the organization and operations of political parties, including their finances.
On litigation pertaining to election matters, the Conference resolved that appeals from judgments in pre-election matters to the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court should be filed within 21 days from the date the judgment of the lower court is delivered.
It endorsed the recommendation that the Evidence Act be amended to shift the burden of proof in election matters to INEC. Still on election litigation, the Conference agreed that relevant provisions be made in the Electoral Act to ensure that no elected official is sworn in until all litigations on the elections are concluded.
The delegates approved the recommendation that any person removed from office, based on the decision of the court on fraudulent election, must lose all privileges attached to that office.
Another resolution endorsed by the delegates was that if a candidate is disqualified by the court for not meeting the required qualification for contesting an election, or in situation where such a person is elected and the court orders him to vacate the office, the candidate with the second highest number of votes should be declared winner.
This recommendation, according to the delegates, is to avoid waste of public funds to repeat elections consequent upon removal of disqualified candidate.
On the appointment of INEC chairman, the Conference adopted the position of the Justice Mohammed Uwais Report regarding the manner of appointing the INEC chairman.
It also accepted the Committee’s recommendation that any elected official executive or legislative who engages in cross-carpeting, regardless of the reasons, shall automatically forfeit his or her seat.
This provision, it said, shall not relate to cases where political parties merge to become a mega party. In such a case, Conference agreed that elected officials should have a choice to freely choose any political party they want to belong.
However, it was agreed that elected officers whose political parties, on whose platform they won election, later merge with other political parties after the elections should be allowed to retain their seats.
Conference also accepted the recommendation for the reservation of a defined quota for women and people living with disability in party hierarchy, although it rejected a suggestion that 15 per cent slot should be reserved for persons living with disabilities.
It agreed that accessible polling stations be established for persons with disability and that INEC should provide Braille ballot papers for the visually impaired persons.
The recommendation by the Committee that if the candidate whose name was submitted to INEC dies, withdraws from election or disqualified by the court of competent jurisdiction, the political party which nominated the candidate shall forward to the commission the name of the aspirant who scored the second highest number of vote at the primaries as the substitute candidate was accepted by the Conference.
On election matters, Conference accepted the recommendation for the introduction of electronic voting system after the 2015 general elections. It also agreed to the recommendation that government should make efforts to demilitarise elections. – The Sun.
