Dogara Wants Option A4 Deployed for Party Primaries

• Assures Nigerians on passage of gender equality bill

James Emejo in Abuja

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, thursday canvassed for the adoption of direct voting method popular referred to ‘Option A4, whereby  all card carrying members of parties are allowed to vote to choose candidates that will represent their parties in elections.

He said this would enhance transparency and promote a truly democratic system.

Speaking while responding to a request from a delegation from the Conference of Female Parliamentarians of State Houses of Assembly, led by its chairperson, Hon. Elizabeth Ativie, the Speaker said Option A4 should be included in the Electoral Act.

According to him, direct primaries is more effective in choosing the true candidate of the people because it takes away the option of manipulation of a few delegates by interested parties who have more financial or political influence.

He said: “It is there in most of the constitution of our political parties where primaries are supposed to be by direct or indirect means. But in most cases, most political parties, if not all, have always opted for the indirect primaries. To be more candid, direct primaries can help even in general elections because once a candidate emerges under those conditions, you will know that he is generally accepted by the people.

“When it comes to the delegate, it has always been very easy for political actors to manipulate the process. In some cases, someone will house the entire delegates. If he happens to have a lot of money, he will house them in hotels, prevents all other candidates from having access to them and is under that process that the candidate emerges.”

According to him: “In most cases, the people who  have the capacity, either the political will, the financial muscle to do this, dictate who are the actual representatives from the people.

“Unfortunately too, our laws do not help matters since we do not have independent candidacy. The only requirement is that you must have a political party platform before you are elected into any office. It therefore means that something has to be done in order to free the process. In order to ensure that this process is truly transparent and democratic and the only way is to let all card carrying members of a political party participate in the election of their candidate. So to this suggestion, you already have a convert in me.”

Meanwhile, Dogara also assured the delegate that the House will pass the Gender Equality Bill before it and urged the state legislators to engage with their federal counterparts to ensure that a consensus is reached on the issues raised.

He said: “We are aware of the gender equality Bill. It is before the National Assembly and it is before the relevant committees of the House. I believe that this House that has the responsibility of representing men and women will do justice to the Bill. Something will come out of the Bill, it may not be 100 per cent in line with our expectations but it is going to be a compromise bill that will have the effect of balancing, not overpowering one gender against the other.”