Posted by By PAUL ORUDE, Bauchi on
The Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed Ibrahim, has urged the National Assembly to effect the immediate removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Maurice Iwu, for conducting what it termed as one of the worst elections in the country ever.
The Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed Ibrahim, has urged the National Assembly to effect the immediate removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Maurice Iwu, for conducting what it termed as one of the worst elections in the country ever.
Addressing participants of the NLC-Civil Society Summit on electoral reforms, held last weekend in Bauchi, NLC President, Abdulwaheed Ibrahim declared that, 'Nigerians will not forgive members of the National Assembly for failing to remove Maurice Iwu because of the selfish interests of many of them."
According to Abdulwaheed Ibrahim, 'removing him will spare this nation the international odium that it attracts by leaving him to preside over future elections," adding that the fresh gubernatorial election conducted in Kogi State penultimate weekend, again underscore the crisis the country is facing with an incompetent and irresponsible electoral commission.
He also charged the Electoral Reform Committee set up by the Federal Government to do a thorough job by recommending reform measures that will help sustain, put order and integrity in the electoral processes in Nigeria, expressing optimism that if the electoral reform committee works on all the technical and intellectual resources made available to them, the problem of election rigging would be a thing of the past.
He, however, lamented that, 'it is sad enough that Nigeria is still grappling with how to evolve a credible electoral system, 48 years after independence, whereas, other countries have already moved beyond that stage and are coping with higher developmental challenges, yet a credible electoral process is a pre-requisite for democracy, good governance and development of our country, so we have to put an end to election rigging. Election rigging inflicts thieves, misfits and incompetent rulers on Nigerians at all levels, as well as facilitates corruption."
According to the NLC president, the labour movement and Nigerians place much hope in the National Electoral Reform Committee, saying that the citizens are watching to see whether the committee would be a vehicle for delivering solutions to the present electoral system which has been described as not the best for the country.
He then urged the participants to participate fully in order to brainstorm, as well as identify the areas needed to be reformed and the nature of those reforms.
While declaring the summit opened, Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda, reminded the people that without a good and effective electoral system, it will be difficult for the country to make democratic progress, pointing out that an effective electoral system will always produce a credible election which will be acceptable to all.
Isa Yuguda, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Labour Matters, Mohammed Koli, said that his administration came into being because the people ensured that what they voted for was what was declared at the end, adding that the Bauchi electoral experience should henceforth serve as a reference point for electoral practice in the country.
The governor then assured that his administration is ever ready to support any move that will make the electoral system in the country more credible and workable, commending the NLC for the summit just as he called upon the participants and the facilitators to be bold enough to say the truth and defend it at all times.