5 November 2009
editorial
Abuja — With just about 16 months before the 2011 general elections in Nigeria, the process of reviewing the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria through which Nigerians expect a more robust electoral reform does not appear to be on course.
The bickering by both chambers of the National Assembly over trivial issues including complaints about inadequacy of the budgeted N1 billion for the review exercise as well as the disagreement over the chairmanship of the Joint Committee on Constitution Review (JCCR) expose the lack of seriousness of our legislators about a very important national issue.
Reviewing the constitution involves a tedious procedure including the endorsement by two-thirds majority of the state Houses of Assembly without which such a process cannot be said to have been concluded or completed. But with consensus on the main issues, the task is not insurmountable. The politicians only make it appear so. As a result, there is a growing doubt about whether a new constitution can be ready before 2011. The current stage of the amendment process does nothing to inspire confidence in the political leadership that they are serious about achieving a comprehensive electoral reform that would guarantee credible elections. The apparent indifference of our legislators to the national desire for true electoral reform is underscored by the inane issues bordering on the perks for our legislators that are daily tabled on the floor of both chambers. They keep themselves busy talking about immunity for the period of their tenure or asking Nigerians to embrace deregulation.
President Umaru Musa Yar'adua has always impressed it upon Nigerians since his inauguration on May 29, 2009 that electoral reform is a matter of priority in the 7-point agenda of his administration. However, we find it ridiculous that the bills presented by the executive to the National Assembly for the amendment of the constitution to tackle such issues fail to truly address matters that are critical to ensuring credible polls in 2011 and to providing an all-inclusive constitution. It is amazing that the critical aspects of the report of the Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais-led Electoral Reform Committee were not included in the executive bills that the president sent to the legislature. The danger of such omission was demonstrated recently when the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, called the Uwais report a non-sacrosanct document, a remark that sheds some light on the attitude of the senate leadership to the issue of electoral reform.
No one denies that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) requires structural changes and repositioning in order to create the atmosphere for free and fair elections in Nigeria to take place.
We call on Nigerian political leaders to be alive to their constitutional responsibilities of proving value-added governance. They have a good opportunity to learn from the sincere spirit of sportsmanship displayed by their counterparts in neighbouring Ghana and Sierra Leone where ruling parties lost to the opposition in recent general elections in those countries. Besides, it was the ruling parties in the respective countries that appointed the chairmen of their electoral commissions. Yet, they lost in the elections. This was made possible because their electoral commissions are truly independent, leaving out any undue interference from the executive and the legislative arms of the government. Our serving legislators should in the interest of the future of this country allow necessary constitutional amendments to be made to make INEC really independent. Nigeria should, therefore, without any prejudices, accept to learn from the genuine political culture of the two West African countries under reference.
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