Atiku canvasses appointment of INEC boss, board by judiciary
*Calls for implementation of Uwais report, creation of election tribunal
By Tunde Opalana, Abuja
To achieve credibility in Nigeria’s electoral process, there is the need to take away the power to appoint the chairman and board members of the national electoral commission from the political appendage of an executive President and be vested in the judiciary.
This advocacy was made by the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also called for a holistic implementation of the National Electoral Reform Commission (NERC) headed by former Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais if Nigeria is to attain credibility in its electoral process.
Atiku further advocated the creation of an Electoral Crimes Commission to adequately try all electoral offenders and to bring sanity into the nation’s electoral processes.
In a statement on Monday, Atiku said it was obvious that the 2019 elections were several steps down from the 2015 elections in terms of credibility and urged Nigerians not to underestimate his recommendation which he said can make a big difference in the nation’s electoral processes.
He stated that “I have been pondering on the question, how Nigeria can have credible elections? Our electoral system needs not just to be brought up to date, by the acceptance of the amendments to the Electoral Act passed by the eight National Assembly, we also need to be up to tomorrow by taking steps today to ensure that the lapses that made it possible for the 2019 elections to be manipulated or rigged are addressed.
“One way of addressing these lapses is to implement the salient recommendations of the National Electoral Reform Committee (NERC) headed by former Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais. The second is the creation of an Electoral Crimes Commission.
“One of such recommendations which will enhance the independence of the supposedly Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is the recommendation that the power to appoint the chairman and board of the INEC be taken away from the President and given to the judiciary.
“Of all the three arms of government, the judiciary is the least affected by elections; meaning that it has the highest objectivity in matters relating to the INEC. It is therefore, in the best position of the three arms to appoint a chairman and board members for the electoral body that are impartial, competent and patriotic.”
He pointed out that Nigeria needs a government that has a clear cut mandate before assuming governance to be able to surmount the myriads of socio- political and economic problems besetting the country.
“Nigeria today, faces a lot of challenges, chief of which are security and economic revival. To effectively tackle these problems, a government must have an honest and indisputable mandate.
“Where you have an administration whose mandate is considered tainted, such a government will lack sufficient moral authority to tackle the myriad of problems this great nation currently faces.
“I do not believe in blaming. Leadership must be solution-oriented not blame focused. This is why I proffer this patriotic advice. Nigeria must be great again and all hands must be on deck to achieve that,” Atiku said.
