Fashola, Jega Speak On Rule Of Law, Electoral Reform At June 12 Platform
By Temitope Adebayo
Former Lagos State Governor and ex-Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), has emphasised the critical role of the rule of law in sustaining Nigeria’s democracy, stating that the historic June 12, 1993, presidential election crisis would have been avoided if due process had prevailed.
Speaking during the June 12 edition of The Platform, an annual national discourse organised by The Covenant Nation in Lagos, Fashola said the late Chief MKO Abiola would have emerged as President if the military had respected the outcome of what many still regard as Nigeria’s freest and fairest election.
“If the rule of law had prevailed, there would have been no crisis on June 12. MKO would have been president, and perhaps all of his promises about a farewell to poverty would have happened,” he said.
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Abiola, the candidate of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), was widely believed to have won the 1993 presidential election. However, the results were annulled by the then military regime of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, plunging the nation into a political crisis that reverberated for years.
Fashola maintained that the annulment represented a gross violation of the rule of law, stressing that democratic institutions and citizens alike must see the law as the framework that guarantees peace and order.
“I want us to see the rule of law in terms of law and order. That is the perspective I want to share,” he added.
In 2018, the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari officially recognised June 12 as Democracy Day, in honour of Abiola and the significance of the annulled election.
Also speaking at the event, former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, called for an urgent review of the 2022 Electoral Act to address persistent issues in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Jega said the current law contains ambiguities, especially in Section 64, which deals with the transmission of results, and called for the mandatory electronic transmission of election results to boost transparency and public trust.
“There is a need to clarify ambiguities in the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act regarding the transmission of election results,” he said.
He also advocated for the removal of presidential influence in the appointment of INEC chairpersons and commissioners, suggesting that the process be reformed in line with the recommendations of the Mohammed Uwais-led electoral reform committee.
The former INEC boss did not stop there. He took a swipe at the Nigerian legislature, calling for its restructuring to reduce cost and improve efficiency.
“A strong rational case can be made for reducing the size of both the federal and state legislatures, and making their work part-time with reduced emoluments,” Jega said, lamenting what he described as “budget padding, humongous allowances, and insensitive expenditure.”
The June 12 edition of The Platform served as a reflective gathering, drawing attention to Nigeria’s democratic journey, the challenges still plaguing the electoral process, and the need for stronger institutions governed by justice, fairness, and the rule of law.
