By RAZAQ BAMIDELE
A coalition of human rights organisations under the umbrella of Consensus Peoples Rights Foundation has advocated for a new election management body in the country to ensure credible future polls.
The group made the call at its maiden Colloquium in Lagos yesterday to celebrate 23rd anniversary of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election believed to have been won by the late MKO Abiola.
Delivering his keynote address, the Convener of the Foundation, Mr. Ayo Opadokun asserted that until such a body is put in place, elections in Nigeria would continue to be faulty.
Opadokun, a lawyer and activist said the call was imperative because, “since Professor Attahiru Jega left office after the 2015 elections, all that we are told now are about ‘inconclusive election’, reasoning that, “this unfortunate development is traceable to the fact that the Nigeria State has rejected the highly credible and comprehensive Justice Muhammed Uwais Electoral Reform Panel Recommendation.”
Against this backdrop, Opadokun expressed the fear that, “not until we return to the path of sanity recommended by that Panel, we would remain clueless for the right solutions and would be groping in the dark and rudderless as usual.”
Another speaker and President, Nigeria Voters Assembly, Comrade Moshood Erubami however warned that, no matter how perfect any reform is, with Nigerians” attitude of business as usual, every effort towards achieving credible election in the country would come to nought.
According to him, human factors have been basically responsible because most faults occurring on the side of the stakeholders were treated with levity.
“No matter the reforms, election in Nigeria cannot be credible were the stakeholders in the election are not committed to playing their roles in accordance to the laws,” insisting that, “if we have to conduct free and fair election from now to 2019, the mindset of the people must conform with the law.”
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman on the occasion, Chief Fred Agbeyegbe stated emphatically that nothing can make Nigerian people forget June 12 because of significance in the political history of an entity called Nigeria.