The Nigerian Judiciary and the National Orientation Agency were on Tuesday identified as some of the major obstacles to credible elections in the country.
This was disclosed by an Executive Director of the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), Comrade Steve Aluko, while presenting a paper titled: “The Nigerian Electoral System: Obstacles and Shortcomings”, at a one-day gathering on the “Strengthening Citizens’ Engagement in Electoral Processes” in Nigeria (SCEEP), held in Jos.
Aluko said, instead of playing a role to strengthen democracy, the judiciary has, by the controversial judgments passed by some judges, made itself an accessory to rigging in the country.
“Our experience with the judiciary in our democratic practice has shown that they are a major obstacle and therefore pose a serious challenge to our democracy.
“We have cases of the arm of government losing its independence to unnecessary control by the political parties in government, to issues of sale of judgments and the incompetence of some judges, all posing a shortcoming to credible elections,” he lamented.
“Even where you find a semblance of independence, you don’t find clean hands, just as some judges simply lack the finesse to strengthen the Judiciary’s role in elections,” Aluko stressed.
The CLO Executive Director maintained that, credible elections require the contributions of all interests and segments joining to drive the process by playing strictly by the rules, as he insisted that one arm of government, or segment of the Nigerian society cannot achieve the feat.
“Yes INEC has its own challenge, but the failure of also having inconclusive elections lies also squarely with the National Orientation Agency’s failure to carryout their responsibility as empowered under the constitution of Nigeria.
“Which has to do with the enlightenment of the citizenry about the civic duties as citizens of the country, they have failed in that aspect.
Earlier in his welcome address, Program Manager of Community Action for Popular participation (CAPP), Mr Nelson Ananze, said the State-Level Campaign Planning Meeting for the SCEEP project, was aimed at the improvement of the electoral system through a robust citizens’ involvement.
Ananze maintained that the project targets women and the youth, particularly those living with disabilities.
SCEEP is being implemented in 108 communities across 36 local government areas of Akwa Ibom, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos and Plateau States, by ActionAid Nigeria, in partnership with CAPP. It is being funded by UKAid and the BBC Media Action.
The meeting had in attendance, representatives of various communities in Plateau State, as well as civil society organizations.
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