Senator
Ike Ekweremadu has said a single 6 year term for President and
Governors will be most fitting for Nigeria to avoid desperation
displayed by elected officers and afford time to deliver the dividends
of democracy.
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu
Deputy President of Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has proposed a
single term of six years for incumbent president and governors as he
said this would go a long way in reducing the desperation of incumbents,
which in turn defiles the electoral process and endangers democracy.
He also raise alarm that the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC was dangerously drifting away.
He made the proposal on Tuesday at the retreat organised by the
presidential Committee in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Senator Ike Ekweremadu
charged the Constitution and Electoral Reform Committee to help restore
the fast declining independence of the Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC as that would help preserve the nation’s democracy.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity,
Uche Anichukwu, Senator Ekweremadu suggested that a single term of
office would 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, just as he
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 Senator 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, but 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”.
Ekweremadu who 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, said, “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.
“Much of the impunity, violence, and malpractices that defile
our electoral system are caused by desperation for a second term of
office; a single term of six years, for example, for incumbent
executives to conclude all their ‘good work’, will certainly reduce the
weight and influence they bring to bear on elections remotely or
directly affecting them” he said.
On how conduct of primaries by an indpendent INEC could help reduce
the power struggles in political parties and ensure the popular
candidates emerge, Ekweremadu explained: “This is the practice in
Ghana. It will reduce the competition amongst stakeholders to take
control of the party machinery. At the moment, it is almost a life and
death matter during the primaries of political parties”.
He said since the electoral laws were amended in 2010 to end
funding of political parties by INEC, hence such funds should be
channeled to financing conduct of party primaries by INEC.
Ekweremadu also canvassed the amendment of Section 77 of the Constitution to allow diaspora voting, noting that “Nigeria
has a theming diaspora community, both in terms of number and quality,
and these people deserve to have a say in who governs their country,
especially given their contributions to national development”.
Other reforms he canvassed were rotation of presidential and
governorship seats among the geopolitical zones and senatorial
districts, respectively, possibly for a given period of time; compulsory
electronic voting; early primaries; conclusion of pre-election matters
before general election; and a hybrid of presidential and parliamentary
system to reduce cost of governance and improve synergy between the
executive and legislature.
He pledged the commitment of the National Assembly to working with the presidential Committee to better the nation’s democracy.
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