Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Wole Oke is the chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Public Procurement. In the February 23, presidential and National Assembly elections, he was re- elected to represent Obokun/ Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun State for the fourth time.
In this interview, the lawmaker speaks about his regrets in the 8th National Assembly, the need for electronic voting in the country, as well as the jostle for who succeeds Yakubu Dogara as the next speaker of the Green Chamber.
How would you describe the conduct of the 2019 general election?
The conduct of the 2019 elections is of two sides, the bad side and the good side, the good side, in the sense that in some parts of the country, particularly in my constituency, in all fairness to INEC; it discharged its responsibilities well. The security agencies discharged their responsibility efficiently, in line with their rules of engagement. I speak for what I saw in Obokun/ Oriade Federal Constituency. I am talking about what I witnessed in my unit, in my ward in Esa-Oke. INEC performed diligently, efficiently, professionally. Ditto the security agencies.
The bad side is what I read about other parts of the country. For example, Kano; Kano was a very sad story. And what happened in Rivers State is bad as well. Citizens should have right to choose their leaders. Unrestricted rights, to exercise their rights to choose who they want. But that was not the practice in some parts of the country. And that is the ugly side. On the whole, I think INEC has a lot of job to do. I think they should stop this fire brigade approach. INEC should be proactive. They should plan ahead. We have to collate results, people have to start using biro and paper; using several hours in this jet age. I think INEC having been empowered by the electoral Act amendment should device means of adopting e-voting. And when you have people who still want to use manual, maybe because they are not literate, then you can make provision for such few people in the society.
Honestly, at this jet age, if we use MasterCard, Visa Card for transactions; you go to an ATM card for withdrawals, immediately you do so, you get an alert on your phone. It tells you that INEC can also operate in similar manner. I have had the privilege of living abroad; you vote online. You can even post your vote to the electoral body and it counts. So, INEC approach to using manual is making us a laughing stock in the comity of nations. So, INEC should plan ahead. And the process they use is very laborious. The quantum of papers they use is unimaginable. The number of people they employ is unimaginable. But this can be reduced. So that we can have some money saved and deployed to other sectors of our national life. I want to plead with INEC to deploy e-voting next time.
But those opposed to e-voting have argued that the country does not have the requisite infrastructure for e-voting, especially as it concerns internet connectivity and power supply. What is your take on that?
That is not true. We have Sat 1, Sat 11. The downstream effect of SAT 11 that we just procured by Nigcomsat provides all that. Assuming, but not conceding, that we do not have (requisite infrastructure), what stops us from having one. Nothing! We are talking about the life of a nation; government of the people, by the people and for the people. We need to begin the use of e-voting. This one you are conducting state elections, it is taking four to five weeks, is uncalled for.
A lot of persons have argued that if the president had assented to the electoral amendment bill, a lot of the challenges associated with the 2019 general election could have been avoided. Are we likely to see the lawmakers revisiting that amendment?
We need to revisit the electoral Act, particularly the section that deals with the use of manual voting, margin of win against the number of voters in places where election are cancelled. To me it is a monster. This has caused the inconclusive elections, we have had. It is a monster.
Let’s look at it. The constitution stipulates the conditions a candidate should meet to be a governor. It is very clear. Have 25 percent votes in two third of Local Government Areas in the state and the majority of votes and nothing more. That monster created by INEC is unconstitutional. It should be strike down. And I expect the judiciary to do the needful.
Let me give you the analysis, INEC advertised that every Nigeria citizen should go and register and collect their Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC). Repeatedly, they printed posters, deployed electronic and print media to mobilise Nigerians to go and register and have their PVC.
You choose to register but refused pick the PVC. I picked the PVC. Your and others refused to. Election came, they gave notice, and you waived your right of not participating in the election. There is a small margin of win between the winner and his opponent. And they are now saying that the margin is as a result of cancelled elections in a polling unit. They are now saying that those citizens that refused to pick their voter’s cards; that chose not to vote, that waived their voting right, should come into the equation. What you are saying is that even those that voted deserve a second chance to have a change of heart. It is undemocratic. It is illegal. It is discriminatory. It should not stand.
What legislation would you regret that it did not see the light of the day in the 8th Assembly?
Autonomy of Local Government Areas, it went through all the process. But even the state Assembly that ordinarily should empower the local government and allow governance to get to the grassroots voted against it. It is very disheartening.
The PIB was one bill the public looked forward to its passage, but few weeks to the end of the 8th Assembly, some components of the bill are yet to be passed. What happened?
The parliament tried its best. We tried our best. If the PIB can see the light of the day, there would be transfer of knowledge. Transfer of technology. And there would be structural linkages in the economy.
Ahead of the inauguration of the 9th Assembly, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has zeroed in on a particular candidate as the next speaker of the House of Representatives. Does that not amount to the ruling party choosing a speaker for the House?
That is APC. They are telling you what they want in their party. It is their business. But the rules of the House are at variance with their postulations. The rule simply states that a cognate member should be nominated. And if he accepts there would be voting on the floor of the House. So, anybody, who want to be speaker of the House, it will be a plus for him if he enjoys the support of his party, that would be 50 percent. He just have to get like five per cent more by networking among his colleagues, because even if the party nominates him, the party is not going to help him to run the House. He needs bonding, networking by bringing all the members together. Experience is required. Capacity is required. So, if the party backs somebody who is not competent, that is their cup of tea. The person will disgrace the party eventually.
The APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was quoted recently to have said that PDP lawmakers will not get Committee chairmanship, except those prescribed for the opposition by the constitution. How would you react to that?
Our leader, Oshiomhole, the chairman of APC has the right to say what he is saying. He wants his party to dominate. But I don’t know how that is going to work out in the parliament. It won’t work out. And in fact the statement won’t help their desired candidate. Buhari, himself is advocating for government of inclusiveness. The president is talking about unity, bridging the gap among Nigerians. I don’t expect the chairman of his party to be saying something else. I think he should toll the line of Mr. President. For example, I put it to you. There are committees you can’t take away from the South South, even if the people coming from there don’t know anything, you have to give them those committees, if you want peace in the parliament. Will you go and bring a candidate from Osun State and make him chairman of NDDC (Niger Delta Development Commission) committee?
Will you go to Sokoto or Kano to bring a member to be chairman of Downstream and Upstream committee? Will you bring somebody from Borno to be chairman of Niger Delta Committee? What will be the rationale? What will be the justification?