A former Governor of Cross River State, Clement Ebri, wants incumbent president and governors to resign before seeking re-election.
This he said should be made a part of recommendations in the proposed amendment of the 1999 Constitution. Ebri, the former chairman of Presidential Committee on the Review of the Nigerian Constitution (1999-2001), said if his view was put in place, it would reduce the influence of incumbents on election results.
According to him, “Let us make laws that will make it impossible for a chief executive to remain in office and conduct an election.
“There are certain conditions prevalent in Nigeria’s political system now. For instance, the electoral system is still in the hands of the executive arm of government. A situation where the President appoints the chairman of Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) and Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in states definitely does not augur well for democracy.
“The recommendation of Justice Uwais committee was set aside for certain self-serving reasons. If you have a proper electoral system that could not be doctored or manipulated, a lot of people who ought not to be in public offices would not be occupying such offices today.
“What you find now is intimidation where everything is taken to the centre; powers are appropriated at the centre and instructions are sent back to the states.
“The electoral system has to be polished up completely and it should be so neutral.”
He disagreed with the idea of a six-year-single tenure for the President and governors, saying the present institutions in Nigeria are not strong enough to sustain such demands.
Ebri said before such is done, the electoral system, the judicial system and the legislature must be strengthened to avoid vesting too much power in the President and governors as it is now.
“It will be suicidal. We should continue to experiment with what we have presently; 4-year tenure for two terms. But the term should not run consecutively, that is two terms at a stretch,” he said.
Comments