Sufuyan Ojeifo
7 January 2009
Abuja — Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, has told President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua to see through the reform of the electoral system, saying he would have succeeded in writing his name in gold if that is the only thing he achieved while in office.
Masari, who observed Ghana's presidential election runoff that produced candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor John Evans Attah Mills, as Ghana's new president on the bill of the Jimmy Carter Centre, spoke with THISDAY yesterday in Abuja.
According to him, "the issue of electoral reform is not a personal issue; it is a government (official) issue. Of course, the approach of the individuals may differ.
"I am sure you remember that President Yar'Adua was the one who said he recognised that there were some flaws even in his own election and that he was going to order that the electoral system be reformed.
"Now he has ordered for electoral reform and the Electoral Reform Committee (ERC) has submitted its report. All we can do is hope, because if it is the only thing that this government can give Nigerians, then it would have written its name in the history page of this nation in gold."
Masari, who attributed the success of Ghana's presidential election largely to the patriotism of the average Ghanaians, said for the nation's electoral process to produce credible elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be insulated against executive manipulations by making it to, among others, enjoy financial autonomy.
According to him, "INEC can be insulated by way of funding through constitution amendment whereby it will derive its funds on first-line charge on the Consolidated Revenue of the Federation (CRF).
"The Commission can also be insulated by transferring the selection of its Chairman and members away from the Executive whereby the parties, professional bodies, judiciary would have more say in deciding, based on the criteria that would be adopted by the National Assembly, their appointment.
"They should be made to know that their positions would be secured if they do their job to the disadvantage of the executive.
"The current Chairman of Ghana Electoral Commission was appointed by Rawlings but Rawlings' party did not win the election and he did not say that it (the party) won. He announced the verdict. He has fifteen years experience as Chairman of the Ghana Electoral Commission."
Masari said Rawlings should be commended because, "he set the example; his party was defeated and he handed over power to those who defeated him. His party was defeated again and this time his party has won the election."
According to him, "These things are earned and not given. We have to earn it. The opportunity will present itself and it will be up to you to utilise it positively or to misuse it. The Ghana Electoral Commission boss had the opportunity and he used it correctly and positively and the whole world is commending the electoral process."
He also said another recommendation of his group, the G-21 in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on the issue of electoral reform apart from insulating the INEC, was that "beyond maintaining law and order during elections, the security agencies have to be completely insulated from any roles with regards to the election itself. "They have to be insulated in such a way that whoever is in power will not exercise its authority over them to make them do things that are not right."
He added that the security agencies, including the army, must be re-educated, stressing "the way things are, you can create millions of Professor Maurice Iwu (Chairman of INEC) if they have no institutional protection against overbearing Executive or an Executive who deliberately usurped and undermined the process."
He explained that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of Ghana was the party in power and was defeated by the opposition NDC with less than 30,000 votes after three rounds of elections.
Masari stated further: "You can see the impartiality of the electoral body, the security agencies and you have to give kudos to the sitting President John Kuffour for refusing to interfere with the process and ultimately."
He added, "Now Ghana has conducted five successful elections. We have conducted three and we seem to be going down. People say the one in 1999 was fair because it was better than the one in 2003 and I do not know how we can qualify that of 2007."
Masari said that bringing parties under the rule of law, as recommended by the G-21, could bolster the Nigerian electoral process.
"Parties must obey their own constitutions and the failure to obey their constitutions should be termed as criminal offence. And as for the PDP, let us wait and see how the amendment of the constitution of the party will take place because that will give us a clear indication of whether the party is willing to reform or not," he stated.
He also posited that the way the recommendations of the Justice Mohammed Uwais-led Electoral Reform Committee were treated would determine whether the nation would have electoral reform or not.
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