…Senate berates state govs, SIECs over massive irregularities
…Asks FG to deny allocations to councils constituted by selections
CHIGOZIE AMADI
Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) has declared People Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of all the 17 chairmanship seats in Plateau State.
Recalled the electoral umpire (PLASIEC) on the 9th October, 2024 conducted the chairmanship and councillorship elections across the 17 local governments, 325 wards in Plateau.
Announcing the results at the PLASIEC headquarters in Jos Thursday, chairman of the commission, Daniel Plangji Cishak said the elections is keenly contested by 11 political parties.
According him, ” having collated all results from various local governments, and satisfied with the requirements of the law the PDP are hereby return elected.”
Daily Champion Newspaper reports that the PDP candidates that emerged winner are; Stephen Gyang-Barkin Ladi, Bernard Alkali-Mikang, Nichokas Kemi Nshe- Shendam, Joshua Sunday Riti-Bassa, Bature Sati- Riyom, Silas Patrick Dung- Jos South, Markus Nyam-Jos East, Salihu Musa- Kanam, and Christopher Audu Manshep- Qua’anpan.
Others includes; Nanfa Nbin- Langtang South, John K. Chris-Jos North, Amalau Samuel- Bokkos, Hamisu Anani- Wase, Emmanuel Mwolpun-Mangu as well as Pirfa Jingfa- Langtang North.
It was also learned that PLASIEC immediately issued certificates of return to the elected chairmen.
…Senate berates state govs, SIECs over massive irregularities
…Asks FG to deny allocations to councils constituted by selections
The Senate on Thursday at. Plenary condemned the outcome of local government elections conducted by the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) in the 36 states of the Federation as a rape of democracy.
Responding to a motion by Senator Abba Moro, Benue South titled: the sham local government elections on 5th October 2024; Abuse of the Constitution and need for Senate intervention, the Senate admitted that virtually all the elections conducted by the states government, especially after the Supreme Court judgement on Local Government autonomy, did not reflect the true desire of the people.
Senator Moro in his lead debate said the said Local Government Council Elections of October, 2024 in Benue State and in some parts of Nigeria, were marred by rampant manipulation, thwarting the goal of establishing truly representative local governments in Nigeria.
According to him, in most places, elections took place in the private homes of the chieftains of the ruling party making the entire process a mere coronation of candidates of the ruling party and not a proper election conducted under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
“The 5th of October, 2024, Local Government Council Elections were scheduled to hold in Benue State and in other parts of Nigeria, and while the electorates excitedly trooped out in their numbers to exercise their franchise to elect leaders who will represent their will at the local government councils, they waited for hours in vain as neither election materials nor electoral officers showed up in many of the polling stations and where a semblance of elections took place, winners were denied certificates of returns,” he said.
He noted that in a federation, elections are the backbone of democracy, allowing citizens to choose their representatives at various levels of government, and the right to franchise of citizens in Nigeria is sacrosanct and constitutionally guaranteed under Sections 77 to 91 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), specifically focusing on the citizens’ rights to vote and be voted for in an electoral process.
Sadly, he said, the provisions of Section 197 of the said Constitution, together with the Third Schedule, P. 11 of the Constitution have been grossly breached.
The Senate accordingly resolved to condemn the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission’s blatant disregard for democratic principles in the sham local government elections of Saturday, 5th October, 2024.
It also urged the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission to conduct elections in those places where elections did not hold and allow the people to choose the representatives of their choice.
It further urged the Federal Government to deny allocations to Local Governments Council’s where selections were done, akin to appointment of caretaker committees.
In their contributions senators, Dr Titus Tartangazam(Benue Northwest) said,”I have reason to support, second, associate, approve, recommend, identify with the motion moved by my colleague, Distinguished Senator Abba Patrick Moro, and seconded by my dear brother, Distinguished Senator Emmanuel Ndende.
Mr. Senate President, you will see that all of us from Benue State, from across party lines, have co-sponsored this motion. And it speaks to the fact that this is a matter for our concern, not just as senators, but as ambassadors of the good people of Benue State, who have cried to us and have asked us to voice this chariot out in these hallowed chambers for the attention of our colleagues, so that collectively we shall find a way towards resolving this heinous political crime that is being committed at the sub-national levels of this country. You will agree with me that in a democracy, election is not just a mere political activity.
It is supposed to be an avenue where our mandate, our authority to provide leadership is derived from. That is the whole essence of election in a democracy. And this edifice called democracy, which we are all enjoying, didn’t just come about,
Mr. Senate President.
People sacrifice so much to bring about a democracy that has been deliberately deconstructed, destroyed, annihilated, and dismembered by a select few leaders at the sub-national level. And it calls for concern. All the investments that were put into the struggle to bring about democracy in this country is being rubbished by our leaders at the sub-national level.
When you say sub-national level, I’m talking about states, our state governors, our leaders in the state across party lines. Watch what happened in Rivers State. That is not an APC-controlled state.
It’s a PDP-controlled state. And elsewhere, I’m not sure if Mr. Senate President has kept it completely in his own state of Akwa Ibom. So, this is a national malaise that needs our attention, sir.
As it was stated in this motion, we all went to Benue, thinking there was going to be a local government election. I went to my own council ward, in my own village, only to discover that elections were conducted in government houses, and results announced. And to show that they themselves did not believe in what they did, the so-called winners of the elections were sworn in at 4 a.m. on Sunday.
We woke up on Monday to see pictures that local government councils were inaugurated. That speaks to the fact that even the owners of those tolling drums could not beat the drums in the market square. They had to swear the so-called winners in government houses on the night of Sunday at 4 a.m. in the morning, on Sunday. By the time we woke up to go to church, we only saw pictures that inauguration had taken place.
That was the time the Rev Fr went for a mass.
So, he decided to finish it before doing the 5 a.m. mass. But that shouldn’t be the case, sir.
In his contribution, Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibril Barau said,”
Thank you, Mr. President. But I was not trying to make a contribution when I came here. However for some of us, indeed, all lovers of democracy in Nigeria need to speak out.
“It’s quite wrong for someone to have an opportunity in this manner, like what is happening on the floor of the Senate today and not make a contribution.
“The reason is this. It is the right of the people to elect their leaders in a free and fair election.
“But the sad commentary is that we all know that we don’t have free and fair elections in our local communities, in this country. Of course, party lines are known to everyone, even the child, anyone on the street knows that. This fact is known to everyone.
“The so-called elections that are held at local councils, local government areas, nobody even goes out to vote. People don’t go out to vote any longer. Elections are announced, and on the day of election, when you go out, you don’t see anybody on the streets.
“Nobody goes to the poling areas. Nobody goes out to vote because the results have already been written, sometimes a week before the election. Before the elections, results were written.
” So we all know this problem. In fact, Mr. President, it’s a national calamity.
“It’s a democratic calamity. I don’t know how those people that fought to bring about democracy in this country are feeling. The way they are feeling now, I know they are sad.
“Yes, please, don’t make us cry. The picture you are painting is scary. Are you saying that these local government elections across the entire country, that the elections were all charades? Mr. President, everybody is surprised that you are able to win your local government, your APC was able to win.
Continuing he said,”Everybody is surprised. Because it’s always 100 over 100. No matter your support in your base, no matter your support in your ward, the result will be written a week before the election.
So everybody is surprised, Mr. President. There is nothing like an election at the local level.
Well, the likes of Abubakar Rimi, late Bola Ige, the president of Nigeria now, Abubakar Rimi, late Bola Ige, the president now, and those who are alive now, I’m sure they are there, speechless.
“They are speechless. So, it’s left for us to make sure we correct what is going on in the name of local government elections. We need to start, and we said that yesterday clearly.
That we must look at our constitution and make sure we correct those provisions that would allow, if you like, permission of an independent body that would conduct this election, or allow the INEC, to conduct this election. Because we saw that in 1999, when INEC conducted elections to elect those to be councillors and local government chairmen. It was free and fair.
You could find a PDP chairman in a state like Kebbi, where the governor was an APP governor. An APP councilor and chairman in Kano State, when PDP was the governor, you know.
We saw free and fair elections at the local councils then. We must change the law.
Everybody must come on board. People are tired of this mess going on. So, I don’t want to bore you much.
We should change what is going on now. It cannot continue.
As long as we want democracy to prevail at local councils, at local government areas, this anomaly, this attack on democracy must stop henceforth. Mr. President, let me point out that I would expect us to make contributions that would touch on how to correct this anomaly.
If we want to, we are in charge of the law. And we know what the problem is.
It depends on us, the national assembly, to give direction and to correct it for the benefit of the people. Let me hear from the civil senator, Ahmed Lama, about his experience. Thank you very much, Mr. President, distinguished colleagues.
I think we have come to where we should be. We have complained for the last maybe 20 years about the local government elections not keeping to the standards and the integrity that we all expect. Mr. President, I will start by adopting something you have said just now, that we are in charge.
I want to say we are in charge, but we are partially in charge. Because every time local elections are held in any state, the party, the dominant party, the party in control of that state, hardly misses even a councillorship position. Either opposition parties will decide not to join, not to participate, because they think that they won’t make any headway to win anything.
Or they will participate, and then the party in power in the state will win almost everything. Except perhaps what we have just witnessed. Miraculously, you got one.
The truth is, this is going to be a serious and difficult issue to resolve by National Assembly alone, Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, we cannot resolve this. We can do our part, but we must do beyond our part.
We can say, okay, let INEC conduct the election, but is that the solution? No. Even INEC, in some states, people complain about INEC, but at least the complaints are less. If you want state independent electoral commissions to be removed from the constitution, so that only INEC conducts elections for all the local governments and the states and the federation, then you have to have the governors on board.
That’s reality. Let’s not deceive ourselves that we can just pass the law and then it will go to the states, and the state assemblies will comply. They will not.
They will listen to their governors. That’s reality. In fact, even if they don’t, they will listen to themselves, because they think they have power there.
So we need to have, Mr. President, our own responsibility, and the governors, the president, and every one of us. This is about the survival of democracy, and politicians, I think in Nigeria.
We’ll regret it if we continue like this. Because people will be tired of us.
