NIGERIA’S ELECTORAL SYSTEM HAS IMPROVED PROGRESSIVELY – NWAGWU 04-05-24
By Sadiq Aminu The Executive Director, Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa, PAACA, Ezenwa Nwagwu, has witnessed steady improvement until the last generation election.
Nwagwu, who stated this in Awka, Anambra State capital, during a one-day citizens town hall meeting on electoral reform, supported by McArthur Foundation, argued that the deficiencies witnessed in the 2023 general election are not strong enough to invalidate the fact that the process has improved tremendously.
“In that same election many condemned outrightly, many governors lost their bid into Senate. Big politicians could not win their polling units and wards for their parties. The BIVAS brought about greater transparency in the process”
Nwagwu condemned a situation where people discuss politics and electoral process without requisite knowledge of the laws that guide it. “Election is a law guided activity and it is incorrect for stakeholders to talk about election and electoral process without having a good knowledge of the laws.
“We put this project together because we found that a lot of people who talk about elections are simply ignorance parading as authority. This project seeks to popularize the legal framework for elections. We will give you the full and abridge copy of the Electoral Act of 2022 in electronic form. This will be replicated in all the 36 states of the federation”.
In his goodwill message, the Director, National Orientation Agency in Anambra State, Mr Edozie Ajaegbu, represented by Mr Ignatius Obiora, lauded the organizers for gathering critical stakeholders to collate their ideas and contributions for improved electoral processes.
“The process has progressively improved in Nigeria since 2019. However, quality of governance is still poor in Nigeria. Improvement in the electoral process is capable of deepening good governance, Ajaegbu said while the President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Anambra State Chapter, Chief Festus Odegba, represented by the Secretary, Chief Samuel Nweke, stressed the need to educate Nigerians on the electoral process.
“When people are generally ignorant of the electoral process, they are not likely to contribute to its success. We must educate all Nigerians to understand their civic responsibilities and perform them effectively”.
The National Vice President of Anambra State Association of Town Unions, ASATU, Hon. Ikechukwu Offorkansi, strongly recommended that political offices be made unattractive. “It is only then that we will be able to produce servant leaders. What we have now are politicians desperate to enrich themselves at the expense of the citizens”.
During panel discussion, Dr Dennis Ekemezie called for deliberate effort to restore confidence in the electoral process through strict adherence to extant laws, while and Dr Ego Uzoezie, a former Provost of the State College of Education, Nsugbe and commissioner for Women Affairs, stressed the need to accommodate more women in the political space of the country.