PRP canvasses implementation of Uwais report
…says 2023 General election fall short of expectations
By Tunde Opalana
The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to etch his name in gold by taking a drastic step to reform the nation’s electoral system ahead of the 2027 general election.
The party among some recommendations asked Tinubu to sincerely accept that the last general election that brought him into power was fraught by irregularities, hence the need to urgently commence the implementation of recommendations of reformations in the Justice Uwais Committee.
The PRP asked the the nation’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, should truly be independent of influences from the executive and the judiciary.
‘In a text titled ‘Let’s Rescue Our Wobbling Democracy’ read by the party’s National Chairman, Mallam Falalu Bello, the PRP on Wednesday said it is expedient to proffer solutions to teething problems of the Nigerian electoral system because the 2023 general election fell short of expectations.
Addressing the first press conference after the 2023 general election at the party’s headquarters in Abuja, Bello congratulated President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and all other political leaders, that were elected by the electorates or made leaders by the legal system saying the PRP has accepted them as political leaders “irrespective of how they became elected”.
However, he said “that we recognize you and congratulate you, does not mean that we will not criticize how the 2023 General Elections, were held, where we have found the elections falling short of the provisions of the Electoral Act (EA), 2022, in many instances. Indeed, the PRP was loud on its call for electoral reforms in several fora, thus, when the Electoral Act 2022 was signed into Law in February 2022, we commended the amendments ushered by EA 2022 with its impressive partial reform to the legal framework of the electoral process in Nigeria.
“But as the conduct of the 2023 General Elections fall a short of expectation, this Press Conference is therefore aimed at reviewing the 2023 General Elections and proffering suggestions for better off season elections and the 2027 General Elections coming in the just three (3) years’ time.”
After a thorough dissection of the 2023 General Elections from party primaries that saw the emergence of candidates to the elections of the President and National Assembly, the Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections as well as the off-season elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States, the PRP declared that “the 2023 elections have left the citizenry with more concerns and not been able to deliver hope for the nation’s democracy after over two (2) decades of its practice.
“This is evidenced by the drop in the number of votes cast in the elections despite huge investments made in Voter Sensitization, Voter Mobilization and Voter Registration which attained a record number of millions of registered voters. The Gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in comparison to the Presidential and National Assembly elections saw a further decline in voter participation which confirms the loss of confidence in INEC’s capacity to conduct fair and credible elections.
” Unfortunately, the off-season elections of Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi did not meet the expectations of most Nigerians.
” Therefore, the PRP differs fundamentally with INEC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the conduct of the 2023 elections inclusive of Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo Gubernatorial elections. PRP also disagrees with the submission of Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC) on the conduct of the 2023 General Elections. “
Bello said the PRP aligned itself more with the European Union findings on the elections which described 2023 General Election as being marred by violence, manipulation, lack of level playing field for candidates, harassment, intimidation of observers and INEC Staff, low voters turnout lengthy timelines of electoral dispute resolution.
“The Electoral process is still far from being perfect and still requires reform if democracy is to survive in Nigeria”, he added while the party made some recommendation for electoral reformation
“For these reasons, the President B.A Tinubu GCFR is being challenged to write his name in gold in the annals of our nations democratic history, by doing what late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua GCFR did with the presidential election of 2007 which brought him to power. As recalled, Late President U.M; Yar’adua GCFR (May Almighty Allah forgive his earthy sins) was sworn in as the President of the Republic, but publiclly admitted that the elections that bought him to power were flawed and began a political reform that was to cure Nigerian elections of all frauds and manipulation by establishing the Justice Uwais Committee on electoral reform in Nigeria.
“To make democracy sustainable in Nigeria and save it from collapse with dire consequences, it is strongly recommended that the entire Justice Uwais Committee Report be looked at positively or at least these recommendations of the Justice Uwais Commission not implemented should be implemented by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration (Executive, Legislative and Judicial administration) before the next General Elections, if democracy is to survive in Nigeria
“INEC should by Constitutional Provisions be made independent, non-partisan, impartial, professional, transparent and reliable as an institution and in the performance of its constitutional roles and these be made possible by: Ensuring that appointments unto its Board and Management are not done by the Executive as is the current practice but as put in Justice Uwais Committee report, to avoid what is happening now with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointing party card-carrying members into INEC with his recent appointments.
“The recent appointment of APC members as resident Electoral Commissioners, is to say the least appalling, the PRP strongly recommend that they be reviewed”.
On Election disputes, electoral offences inclusive of widespread voters’ purchase (Corruption), the party suggested that the repositions of Uwais Committee report should be upheld and bought into being.
Such, he said include establishment of the Electoral Offences Commission by the legislature to work independently in the arraignment and prosecution of electoral offenders inclusive of INEC officials and the Staff of security agencies.
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“The adjudication of presidential, national assembly, gubernatorial and state assemblies should be expeditiously-concluded and in all cases before the swearing in of the winners of elections as we see in some jurisdictions even in Africa;
In conclusion on 2023 General Elections, the party is calling on all well-meaning Nigerians to join its fold to resist the ongoing attempt to kill the opposition and enthrone a one party state in Nigeria.
“Our democracy is wobbling and we all must join hands to rescue it and this may entail continuously going to the National Assembly until they listen to us on this and other issues they must act,” said the PRP.
