Onimisi Alao
20 June 2008
Abuja — Former Chairman of defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC), Professor Henry Nwosu has advised Nigerians to seize the opportunity of the Electoral Reform Committee (ERC) to make their contribution to efforts at evolving a credible electoral system for the country.
"The setting up of the Electoral Reform Committee by the present administration has created a unique opportunity for us, national and international bodies, infor-med individuals, and all segments of Nigerian society to cooperate and make relevant inputs to ensure that Nigeria has an enduring as well as appropriate electoral reforms," Nwosu said.
The former chief electoral officer who spoke at a round-table on Political Parties and Election Management Bodies in Abuja yesterday said such concerted effort would help stabilize the political process and democratic order.
Nwosu who headed NEC between 1989 and 1993 but later became a subject of criticism after the June 12, 1993 election was cancelled said conduct of an election or activities towards it is a national civic responsibility requiring the cooperation of the electoral agencies, political parties and civil society organizations.
House Committee Chairman on Electoral Matters, Alhaji Musa Sarkin-Adar, who made a remark at the roundtable said it was obvious that Nigerians were dissatisfied with the country's electoral process but that the House of Repre-sentatives was resolved to revamp it in a holistic manner.
He said everything nece-ssary must be done to clean up the electoral process. "If we are to attain high stan-dards in our electoral system, the electoral reform being proposed by the Executive must seek to strengthen the institutional capacity of the electoral umpire to conduct free and fair election," he advised.
The roundtable which held at the Rockview Hotel was jointly organized by International Republican Institute (IRI) and Interna-tional Foundation for Electoral System (IFES).
Country director of IRI, Dr Mourtada Deme descri-bed the roundtable as the assistance of both IRI and IFES to groups and organi-zations engaged in advocacy and democra-tization efforts. Deme said political parties and candidates were key stakeholders whose con-cerns and interests should be considered when designing and implementing policies.
"Unless the election management body enjoys a good relationship with and confidence of political par-ties, its pogrammes will attract criticism that will make it difficult for the body to enjoy widespread stake-holders support," he added.
On her part, Micheline Begin, Nigeria's Country Director of IFES said electoral management bodies play sensitive and strategic roles in contemporary democratic governance anchored on political parties and should be seen to be dependable.
"It is of crucial importance for the credibility of a country's electoral process that the bodies managing the elections be and be seen by the whole political sector as independent of any party and of the sitting government," she said.
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