The proposed bill by the House of Representatives to simultaneously conduct all elections into the offices of the president, state governors, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Areas (LGAs) on the same day has elicited mixed reactions among stakeholders.
While most Nigerians agree with the need to compress election days and save avoidable costs, they also raised reservations about Nigerians and the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) readiness for the proposed cumbersome phase.
The lawmakers, in a bid to ensure credibility in the electioneering process at the plenary yesterday, made significant inroads towards the conduct of all elections in a day.
Similarly, the House also considered establishing the Local Government Electoral Commission (LGEC) to conduct all local council elections, which are currently conducted and funded by the State Electoral Commission.
The proposed legislation on the conduct of elections on the same day, sponsored by members of the House, Ikenga Ugochinyere, Francis Ejiroghene Waive, and 34 others, scaled the second reading at a plenary presided by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu.
The bill aims to alter provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to provide that General Elections to the Office of the President, State Governors, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Area Councils shall be conducted simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly.
The bill for the establishment of LGEC also scaled the second reading, seeking to alter the Constitution to establish the National Local Government Electoral Commission as an independent body responsible for organising, conducting, and supervising elections into the offices of Chairmen, Vice Chairmen and Councilors of all the Local Government Councils across the Federation.
The proposed legislation, sponsored by the Deputy Speaker and eight other lawmakers, was presented for second reading by the House leader, Julius Ihonvbere.
According to the Sponsor and Co-sponsors, the Commission, when established, will ensure the credibility, transparency, and fairness of local government elections and promote democratic governance at the grassroots level.
Recall that in 2015, INEC reordered the course of the election, bringing the presidential and national elections first before that of the governors and the state Assemblies, which many Nigerians claimed created a bandwagon effect on the state elections.
Also, in 1998, the National Electoral Commission conducted the local government elections that were judged the best to date. It was the only council poll where opposition parties won chairmanship seats in areas where they were strong. However, thereafter, the ruling parties adopted a winner-takes-all method using State Electoral Commissions, which were appointed by sitting state governors and ruling parties.
A former Minority Leader in the Senate, Olorunnimbe Mamora, said the idea of conducting elections would reduce cost, stress on the electorate and eliminate the bandwagon effects to some extent, “but is Nigeria ripe for such?”
He, however, faulted the proposal for LGEC to oversee council polls, adding that the decision would affect the principle of true federalism.
He disagreed with a repeat of the 1998 antecedent when a national electoral body held council polls. He said Nigeria is no longer under military rule.
The chieftain of Ohanaeze, Goddy Uwazurike, quickly disagreed with Mamora, saying the House’s proposal was the best.
Uwazurike said: “As long as the 1999 Constitution could be amended to cover this, then the shenanigans Nigerians have been witnessing as council polls, where governors installed their cronies, will stop.”
He noted that whatever initial challenges it has could be addressed. He also threw his weight behind a proposed LGEC to conduct council polls.
He said: “A particular system has failed us over 25 years. There is a need to try another one.”
The Director-General of National Conservative Forum (NCFront), Wale Okuniyi, noted that as good as the proposal is, it implies the amendment of the constitution.
Okuniyi said the capacity of INEC to hold multiple elections in a day is a problem to consider. Otherwise, it is supposed to be the best.
In support of the position of the House, a professor of law and vice-chancellor of the Protestant University of Rwanda, Olu Ojedokun, said the House is right to pass the bill, aiming to conduct all elections in one day.
He said all the polls should be conducted on the same day to reduce costs and ensure efficiency.
The VC said: “If all elections should be done in one day, none will influence the others. There was no movement for two days (in the past general elections) because of the election! Why do we have to shut down the country for elections?
“If we do all the elections in one day, it will reduce cost, time, and restriction hours. We can learn from the U.S., France and other countries that use the method.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission (NEC) needs to plan well for it. If INEC starts planning now, it can do it.”
In another reaction to the bill on compressed elections, a former Head of Department (HOD), Political Science and International Relations, Lead City University, Ibadan, Prof. Akeem Amodu, said the ideal thing should be starting from the bottom to the top.
He noted that the gubernatorial and State Assemblies polls should be held first, followed by the presidential and National Assembly.
Amodu said, “Given the Nigerian understanding of politics and an economy that does not give room for citizens to think out of the box, the bandwagon effect will happen. There is a tendency for the party that won the presidential poll to incentivise and induce voters. As a result of this, the victorious party is ready to buy people’s votes and consciences.
“The ideal thing should be starting from the bottom to the top. The last three elections followed that pattern.
That is, local first, followed by the state poll, parliamentary and federal presidential elections to get the best. That will change the bandwagon dynamics and narrative.”
On his part, the Head of Department (HOD) of Political Science, University of Ibadan, Prof. Adewale Yagboyaju, said: “These are different options with their merits and demerits. From local to presidential elections, it will be more expensive than we have today.
“There may indeed be bandwagon effects, but that may not always be true. For instance, in Oyo State, in the 2023 presidential and National Assembly polls, the All Progressives Congress (APC) won almost all seats. Still, at the governorship and state assembly polls, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) swept them all.
“This means bandwagon effects cannot be automatic. Going back to the former method may not necessarily count. Re-ordering to the former method should come with profound outweighing benefits that we can point to. Anything we push for should be more beneficial than the existing one.”
The bill’s draft on LGEC states that the National Local Government Electoral Commission shall consist of the Chairman and 37 other members representing 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
It also states that the Chairman, who shall be the Chief Electoral Officer and members of the Board shall be appointed by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the recommendation of the National Council of States and subject to the confirmation of the Senate.
The Commission is expected to provide periodic reports on its activities and the outcomes of local government elections to the President, the National Assembly, and the general public, promoting transparency and accountability in its operations.
The Commission is to, among others, be saddled with the responsibility for organising, conducting, and supervising elections into the offices of Chairmen and Councilors of all Local Governments in the Federation, including the Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory; setting the election timetable, managing polling processes, and ensuring compliance with electoral laws; and overseeing the registration of voters for local government elections, maintain an accurate and up-to-date voter register, and ensure that eligible citizens are provided with access to participate in the electoral process.
“The Secretary of the Board of the National Local Government Electoral Commission shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Board of National Local Government Electoral Commission who shall be a legal practitioner of not less than 10 years,” Ihonvbere said in his lead debate.
Appeal court as final arbiter…
THE House also passed through second reading another bill seeking to make the court of appeal the final arbiter for determining governorship election petitions in the country.
Sponsored by a lawmaker representing Ndokwa East/Ndokwa West/Ukwuani Federal Constituencies of Delta State, Nnamdi Ezechi, the proposed legislation seeks to alter section 246 of the 1999 constitution.
Section 246 of the constitution states that the court of appeal’s decisions regarding litigations arising from the national and state Houses of Assembly election petitions shall be final if the proposed legislation is passed into law; the section will include governorship elections.
Presenting the bill’s general principles, Ezechi said the proposed legislation is intended to mitigate delays and save costs in post-election litigation. According to him, if enacted, the law will prevent gubernatorial election disputes from reaching the Supreme Court. – Guardian.
