Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has charged the Constitution and Electoral Reform Committee to help restore the fast declining independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), in order to preserve the country’s democracy.
Ekweremadu also suggested single term of office to reduce desperation and impunity by politicians as well as the conduct of party primaries by the INEC to reduce the life and death struggle by politicians for control of party machinery.
A statement by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Deputy Senate President, Uche Anichukwu said that Ekweremadu made the call at a retreat organised by the Presidential Committee in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
It said that Ekweremadu expressed worries that “Nigeria is sadly on the part of decline in its leadership role in Africa in almost all sectors, including electoral system”.
The Deputy Senate President who also chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, explained that the essence of the amendments to Sections 81 and 156 of the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly in 2010 was to guarantee the financial autonomy and neutrality of INEC.
He lamented that the gains made from such provisions in the 2011 and 2015 general elections were being eroded.
Ekweremadu said: “The word ‘Independent’ in the name of our Election Management Body, INEC, is critical and must be defended and preserved if our democracy must survive.
“The bible says that if salt loses its saltiness, it becomes worthless and can only be thrown away. The word ‘Independent’ is the salt in our Election Management Body. All the past reforms and the present efforts will be meaningless if we sit back and watch some desperate politicians destroy the independence of our electoral umpire.
“The world is watching too. We must ensure that INEC is retained to Independent National Electoral Commission in name and practice, not just National Electoral Commission as it is presently and dangerously drifting to. Inconclusiveness, postponement, cancellation, and manipulation are dangerous signs on the road to 2019”.
He proposed a jail term without option of fine for security agents as well as staff and ad-hoc staff of INEC, whom he said currently “get away with brazen impunity and malpractices”.
“It is wrong for anybody to engage in electoral malpractice, but it is even worse if guardians of the sanctity of the ballot box become the desecrators of the process.”
