AfriPulse
• Counters Obasanjo’s third-term denial
Prominent political activist, Dr Usman Bugaje, has expressed concerns about the future of Nigeria’s democracy, warning that the system could collapse if the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) continues to be undermined and the appointment of its chairman remains in the hands of the President.
Bugaje stated, yesterday, on Arise Television, that INEC had lost a lot of credibility, stating the importance of the institution regaining trust to prevent threats to the country’s stability.
He argued that reforms must focus on insulating INEC from political manipulation, noting that since the electoral body’s credibility was at stake, it should be protected from political interference.
“If that doesn’t happen, then it is the democracy that is holding the country down; and when that happens, there are consequences,” he warned.
On the appointment of the INEC chairman, the civil society leader opined that the President should have no role in the process. “I don’t think the President should have a hand in selecting the INEC chairman. Any election that the President will participate in and he will be the one to bring in who will be the INEC chair, I think, is a sham election,” he said.
Dismissing debates over zoning for the INEC chairmanship, he asserted, “What we require is competent people to fix our problems. This country holds a great promise, not only for Africa, but for the world.”
He feels strongly about zoning and rooted for competence.
“We have zoned for the last 25 years. Where has that taken this country to? Down the drain. Therefore, it is time to stop this childish idea and face reality. We need competent people,” he said, stressing that citizens and civil society would play a critical role in pushing for reforms through political pressure.
On former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s denial of seeking a third term, Bugaje insisted that evidence of Obasanjo’s pursuit of a third term was overwhelming. “I can confirm to you that Obasanjo looked for a third term.”
Obasanjo, while speaking at a democracy dialogue hosted by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Ghana, last week, said: “I am not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. There is no Nigerian dead or alive that would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term.”
However, Bugaje, who was a member of the National Assembly during Obasanjo’s administration, maintained that lawmakers at the time had direct knowledge of the third-term plot.
“He did everything within his power to get a third term. There is so much evidence, and the people who distributed the money and threatened us are still alive,” he said, urging Obasanjo to acknowledge the past and contribute positively to Nigeria’s development.
While asserting the matter as “incontrovertible”, he challenged Obasanjo to address the allegations.
Source: Guardian Nigeria | Read the Full Story…
