The Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District at the Red Chambers of the Senate, Ali Ndume has described the Nigerian electoral process as complicated.
The Senator raised the concern, stating that it is deliberately complicated to facilitate manipulation.
Ndume, who was a former Senate Majority Leader, made the remarks on Sunday. He was speaking during an interactive session with journalists in Kano after attending the Senate retreat on Constitutional Review.
Addressing newsmen, Ndume said, “I support Local Government autonomy and the idea of INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) conducting Local Government polls. One issue being discussed in the National Assembly is the creation of a National Local Government Electoral Commission, and I am not in support of it,” Ndume said.
In rejecting the proposal, Ndume questioned the need to create a new body solely for conducting Local Government elections every four years. He stated that the existing INEC is underutilized and therefore, could handle these responsibilities.
The Senator also expressed frustration with the complexity of Nigeria’s electoral process. Which he believes is designed to encourage manipulation.
He said, “The elections in Nigeria are deliberately complicated to allow for manipulation. Why don’t we make laws that ensure the votes count? Why not enable citizens to elect someone from their phones? And why not allow INEC to monitor elections through technology and create a situation room? Google can tell you about your location in real time. So, why can’t we leverage technology for our elections?”
Ndume, therefore, added that the underlying problem with Nigeria’s electoral system is a lack of sincerity, honesty, and fear of God among political leaders.
Another factor that is a cankerworm against the development of the country noted by Ndume is corruption. He said, beyond the issue of elections, is the rampant corruption in Nigeria.
Ndume lamented that those who steal public funds often move freely and are celebrated. To buttress his point, the Senator shared his experience in attempting to pass a law on unexplained wealth in the National Assembly.
He regretted that proposal has repeatedly failed to gain traction.
Ndume said, “Our major challenge in this country is corruption. We have no proactive law to address it. In Nigeria, if someone who was poor last week suddenly buys ten cars and a jet, they are celebrated. And people say, ‘God has blessed our son.’ But in developed countries, they ask how, when, and where the money came from.”
The Senator explained that he had tried multiple times to push for a law addressing unexplained wealth but was unsuccessful.
He said, “I even approached a former Head of State, hoping he could sign an Executive Bill on the issue. But to this day, there is no Unexplained Wealth Act or Executive Order addressing it in Nigeria.”
source: Vanguard
Follow us for more news on our WhatsApp News Channels @
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaC505jB4hdZ5Yx9g82U