Pay close attention to Saturday election, OrderPaper tell Nigerians

..to set up situation room in FCT for monitoring

By Tom Okpe

Executive Director, OrderPaper Advocacy Initiative has urged Nigerians to pay close attention, into the most expected general election, come Saturday, 25 February, 2023 in the country.

The National Communications’ out fit also said it will set up a situation room in the Federal Capital City, Abuja to monitor the election, closely because of its major concern.

Speaking with House correspondents on Thursday at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, its Executive Director, Oke Apiah said Nigerians should know closely, who represents them, both at the Presidential and National Assembly levels.

The Order Paper, playing its role as the ‘Watchdog’, monitors the legislature in its activities in accountability to the people.

The country has a total Polling Units of 176, 846 with 469 seats at stake; 109 for the Senate and 360 Federal Constituencies.

“Going by the concept of representative democracy, the legislature is the first and foremost arm of government, and it plays a crucial role in the sustenance of democracy as a tradition for a country’s people.

“Having had a series of military interregnums in politics where the National Assembly gave way for Military Decrees and Edicts, a return to democracy in May 1999 saw the inauguration of the 4th National Assembly, and we have since then, had the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and now, 9th National Assemblies.

“It is, therefore, noteworthy to state that this year’s National Assembly is holding on the eve of the 25th Anniversary of the Nigerian National Assembly; at least in the uninterrupted Fourth Republic.

“In each of the six electoral cycles leading to the election of lawmakers who have served in these Assemblies, we have observed as a legislative- focused organisation that many at times, majority of lawmakers who have served in the various Assemblies we mentioned earlier, emerged through a bandwagon.

“This trend, to a large extent, sacrifices merit for party considerations, especially as the National Assembly elections hold simultaneously with the highly-anticipated Presidential Elections.

“In no small measure, this has affected the quality of representation in each Assembly and also, prevented effective service delivery.

“This development is what OrderPaper and our partners have considered necessary to address for the future development of parliament.”

Stressing further, Opiah stated that some candidates, basically, don’t articulate what they really intend to do in the parliament.

He said: “The fact is that, we have been tracking these candidates and it’s disheartening to inform that most of them do not know why they are coming to the National Assembly.

“All these candidates, 0.3% understand what the legislature does. When candidates begin to say, I will alter the Abuja master plan and issues like that, this is why we decided to come, share this data with you and give the citizens informed decision on who to vote for.

“There is an increased appetite by citizens to vote and they are not appropriately directed on the legislative elections.”

Also speaking, Senior Programme Executive of the Advocacy Initiative, Temidayo Taiwo-Sidiq noted that city residents should have enough knowledge on whom to vote.

“They need to know the people they are sending to the National Assembly to represent them.

“People must be elected on the basis of individual merits instead of following bandwagon,” he added.