Present Muhammadu Buhari has frowned at the justice administration of the Electoral Tribunals which seeks to cover-up electoral malpractices and offences.
The President, who spoke today when he swore-in the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu and five commissioners of the Electoral body, said that it is long overdue that “our justice system addresses these shortcomings.
“It is not just enough for an election to be cancelled and a new one ordered. It would be much better if all whose actions or inactions led to the cancellation of such election to be investigated and if culpable prosecuted whether they are individuals as candidates or party agents, Institutions such as political party, electoral body, or public officers as electoral staff or security agents.”
He insisted that perpetrators of electoral violence and thuggery should not be spared, stressing: “unless our system stops covering up all forms of electoral malpractices we can hardly get it right. No system endures with impunity.”
the Federal Government’s constitutional constraints in its engagement with the State’s Electoral Bodies. But the government has a social responsibility to protect the democratic rights of all.
“I am of the view that it is totally unacceptable to hide under the cover of the technicality of law to deny the citizens’ rights.”
President Buhari observed that in almost all the States, the Party of the sitting government wins all the Council Elections. Adding that while there is nothing wrong with that if it is the true wish of the people, majority of Nigerians more often than not think it is not.
This is why, he said, there has been little respect for the outcome of the council elections, a situation he said, that is responsible for questioning the integrity of such election winners throughout their tenure.
The President said that the Federal Government is considering a different strategy of engagement with State Governments on how to make state electoral commissions
much freer than many are today.
He said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) government has promised Nigerians Change, saying that in electioneering, this change should be all embracing.
“It starts from change of attitudes, change of work ethics, change in attitude to corruption and corrupt practices, change of party political conduct-right from primaries to the emergence of candidates and finally the conduct of elections.
“In the conduct of elections, we promised to respect the independence of our electoral body, INEC. We promised non-interference in its activities and above all we promised to encourage them to conduct transparently free and fair elections. I hereby pledge to keep that promise.”
President Buhari made it clear that APC is not limited to the control of Federal Government alone, adding that he expected APC controlled states to do no less in the way they handle their various States’ Electoral Commissions.
“All of us, and this includes other political parties, have a responsibility to safe-guard the sanctity of democratic values; and the foundation of such values are free association, transparent electoral process and free and fair elections.”
While the President pledged to respect the independence of the Commission that he would not interfere with its operations, Buhari asked the electoral body not to allow itself to be unduly influenced or subject itself to the control of outside forces.
“You must respect the law and we will hold you bound by the oath which you have just taken. “The Nation has reposed a lot of trust and confidence in you. You cannot afford to fail.”
The President did not fail to thank the Press, the Social Media, various Local and International Monitoring Groups, International Community- particularly the Donor Agencies for the support of the nation’s electoral management and operation. [myad]
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