From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Former Deputy-Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and 2023 presidential aspirant, Professor Kingsley Moghalu, has stated that Nigeria cannot afford another round of a flawed general election.
Moghalu made this disclosure at an interactive forum organised by a coalition of civil society groups on the aegis of ACCESS Nigeria, in Abuja on Tuesday.
The civil society groups include the Centre For Liberty, The Electoral Hub, Speak Out Africa Initiative, To Build a Nation, Centre for Development Alternatives Research and Studies, Raising New Voices, Ready To Lead Africa, Center for Impact Advocacy, and Aspilos Foundation.
He insisted that Nigeria is having limited time to do the needful but urged the ninth National Assembly to do what is necessary to pass the Electoral Act Amendment 2021 Bill.
“Nigerians are choking from the absence of true democracy, and this has led to bad governance in our country.
“If our votes don’t count and are not counted, then democracy in Nigeria exists only in name. It is time to make democracy real and give citizens the confidence that they can choose their leaders,” Moghalu said.
He stressed that the National Assembly must rise up to the challenge of addressing the deficits in the electoral system and entrenching enduring electoral reforms.
“Many young Nigerians do not want to vote because they don’t have trust in the electoral process.
“How can we have a country that calls itself a democracy in which most of the adult citizens have become disillusioned and don’t want to participate in elections?
“Nigerians are losing trust in the electoral process as this is evident in the continuous decrease in voter turnout as compared to the number of those who show interest to vote by registering for their Permanent Voter Cards during the Continuous Voter Registration Exercise organised by INEC.
“The passage of the said bill will reawaken the hope of Nigerians who have already given up on the system and put Nigeria on the map of countries committed to a transparent electoral system,” he said.
Other speakers at the event noted that the unity of the country was seriously challenged by the activities of separatists and secessionists who blame their actions on injustice and poor governance which has been made worse by bad leadership.
“Nigeria cannot afford another flawed general election. That is why the countdown to 2023 and other off-cycle polls, has required a greater certainty about the electoral legal framework for achieving a more credible and improved electoral process.
“The passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) 2021 Bill will help quell the civil unrest caused by these secessionist groups that feel marginalized and are working tooth and nail to ensure that the country splits,” Maryam Ahmed (Centre for Liberty) said.
In his remarks, the co-convener of ACCESS Nigeria, Atoye Dare Ariyo, said there was no better legacy for the ninth National Assembly than to give Nigerians a brand new electoral law.
He, therefore, called for the National Assembly’s early passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill (2021) to prevent any excuse from the Executive and to also ensure that INEC prepared adequately before the 2023 polls.
Executive Director, Speak out, Kenneth Eze, in his remarks insisted that the National Assembly owed Nigerians an urgent passage of the Electoral Amendment Act