•Forecloses return to APC
•INEC: Electoral reform still inchoate until harmonised
Deji Elumoye and Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, yesterday, was ambivalent on the issue of direct primaries approved by the Senate for political parties in deciding the fate of individuals that would fly the flags of the respective parties in any election.
Obaseki argued that, while political parties should be allowed to determine their own procedure, if properly supervised, he further contended that direct primaries would also help the nation’s democratic development.
He, however, backed the use of electronic transfer of election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as adopted by the Senate on Tuesday in its latest amendment to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
The governor also foreclosed the possibility of returning to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), saying he was a man of integrity, who would not abandon the Edo people,who re-elected him on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
But INEC, yesterday, also reacted to the Senate passage of the electoral reforms and described it as inchoate pending the harmonisation of the entire electoral reforms by the two arms of National Assembly.
Speaking with newsmen after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja, Obaseki, who reacted to Senate’s decision to reverse its earlier resolution on electronic transmission of election result, said he would probably not have won re-election but for the deployment of technology by INEC.
According to him: “If not for the technology utilised by INEC, and God, I may not be governor today. So, I am one of those people, who believe that we cannot and should not have elections in this country, going into the future, without transmitting results electronically from the polling units, because for elections to be credible, they have to be seen as transparent and once you have voted, you should be assured that your vote will count.
“With technology today, it is possible and INEC, has shown it from my elections, that as soon as you voted, and the results have been counted in the polling units, then that result should be made available, such that you already know what you expect to be collated at the ward collation points.
“What has happened in many cases in the past is that people go and vote, the votes are counted in the polling units, they know, but by the time it gets to the collation point, it changes. But this time around, because of the transparency, everybody will see and know what they are expecting to be collated from the polling units. That is what happened in my election.
“So, I am a very strong advocate for electronic transmission of results from elections and I want to also note that from my personal experience, INEC has the capacity, INEC has the technology, and also the understanding of how these things should work. So, they should be encouraged. I hope and pray that the President will assent to that bill.”
But, he was not categorical about the direct primaries for political parties, which was also adopted by the Senate, saying while political parties should be allowed to determine their own procedure, if properly supervised, direct primaries would help the nation’s democratic development.
“My party is currently undertaking an electronic registration of our members across the country, because we anticipated that one day, you will be required to show your own register, because if we as political parties vote on the basis of an election register, then, the parties must also have their registers, because democracy has to begin with the parties and it’s only when you have very clear open registers, then, you can now have whatever form of elections from within the party.
“I would have thought that parties should have options; if a party wants to reduce the cost of their own internal primaries, by having a delegate system, having an electoral college and a delegate system, they should have the option to do so.
“But to just lump everybody together and say look, it’s the only way to go! I would have suggested that you should have options. However, the direct primaries process, properly supervised, is a very fundamental step in the evolution of our democratic system,” he explained.
On the lingering internal crisis in the Edo chapter of the PDP, he said as a party that was in opposition for 12 years in the state, it would take a while to develop an understanding among new and olds members.
His words: “You have to understand that this is politics. My current party was in opposition for 12 years and this is the first time the party is being in government. So, it will take a while for everybody to come together to have an understanding of the new role and the new position we occupy.”
Obaseki also ruled out the possibility of returning to the APC, saying that with his integrity, he would not contemplate such move and could not abandon the PDP that gave him cover while he was pushed out of his former party, APC.
“Well, I think I’ve shown that I’m a politician with integrity and I have made it very clear that I didn’t leave the other party on my own, I was pushed out of the party, and someone else gave me cover, gave me an opportunity. It will not be the right thing to do to now leave, who helped you, who gave you the umbrella in your storm, and then go back to the person, who pushed you out,” he said.
The governor also canvassed for adequate funding by the federal government for private individuals to set up ranches in the state.
He claimed to have told the President that Edo people had resolved that ranching was a private business but since it is expensive, the federal government should make funds available for interested individuals under the National Livestock Transformation Programme being coordinated by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
He said: “Principally, there were four issues I discussed with him. First has to do with the position of Edo State on the anti-grazing law. As you know, most Southern states have passed laws relating to open grazing, but Edo has not, because we want to ensure that whatever laws we pass are laws that we can enforce.
“We’ve had extensive consultations with our people, extensive town hall meetings, to deal with the issue that, yes, we do not want open grazing, it is out-modeled, it’s outdated, however, what are the options? If we are asking that we should now have ranches and these cattle should now be constrained to specific areas, such as ranches, then, who provides the land?
“My people say that, as far as they’re concerned, ranching is a private business and therefore, just like every other agricultural venture, those involved should provide the land. As you already know, it is expensive, it is not cheap to run and manage ranches.
“So, what I came to discuss with the President was that since the people of Edo would rather invest privately, those who are interested want to make it a private concern, then the National Livestock Transformation Programme, which is now being implemented by the federal government, should acknowledge our model.
“They should also be able to help people benefit from the funding that is now being made available for people, who want to go into the livestock business and make investments in ranches and other similar livestock programmes. He, as usual, took notes, and I’m sure he’s going to do something about it.”
Obaseki said he also informed Buhari of the debts owed by federal agencies to the state and asked for his intervention.
“I informed him about some amounts that are being owed to the Edo State government by some federal agencies and he promised to look into them and to ensure that these sums are paid back to the Edo State government. So, in a nutshell, those were the things I came to discuss with Mr. President,” he said.
On its part, INEC said it would continue to make suggestions and recommendations till the electoral bill was finally assented into law.
Speaking to THISDAY, National Commissioner in charge of Information and Publicity as well as Chairman, Voter Education, Festus Okoye, said, “The Commission notes that the ongoing process is still inchoate and will take a holistic and systematic look at the final product and make its views known.”
Notwithstanding, he said the commission would continue to make suggestions and recommendations to the National Assembly on a good electoral process.
“Pending the signing into law of the Electoral Act, 2021, the Commission will continue strategic, targeted and safe deployment of appropriate and tested technologies in the electoral process.
“It is gratifying to note that the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria stepped back from its previous position on electronic transmission of results and reflectively aligned with the greater use of technology and the electronic transmission of election results.
“The Commission notes the new Clause 43(1) & (3) giving the Commission the power to provide suitable boxes, electronic voting machine or any other voting device for the conduct of elections. The Commission notes the new Clause 52(2) that provides that subject to section 63 of the Bill, voting at an election and transmission of results shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by the Commission”, Okoye stated.
He said INEC has noted Clause 63(5) that provided that the Presiding Officer shall transfer the results including total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.
Accordingly, he said, “The Commission also notes the new Clause 87 relating to the nomination of candidates. The Commission will continue to engage the members of the National Assembly especially, in relation to sections of the Electoral Act that entrench manual processes in the collation of results and declaration and return of candidates in an election.”
Okoye said INEC would continue to canvass for broad powers and discretion in the use of manual and electronic processes in the electoral process, urging “the Conference Committee of the National Assembly to take a second look at sections 63, 65, 73, 74, 76, 77 and other corresponding sections that entrench the manual process in our elections.”
He also maintained that INEC would continue to engage the two Chambers of the National Assembly on electoral reform issues.
“The Commission participated actively during the public hearings on the Bill for An Act to Repeal the Electoral Bill 2021, No 6, 2010 and Enact Electoral Act, 2021.
“The Commission participated in the work of the Technical Committee set up by the Senate Committee on INEC and the House Committee on Electoral Matters. The procedure adopted by both Committees was participatory and inclusive.
“We urge both Houses of the National Assembly to sustain the inclusive multi-stakeholder approach in electoral reform. It narrows areas of disagreement and creates a safe pathway to enduring electoral process.
“The Commission is conscious of the fact that the work of the National Assembly in relation to the consideration of an Act to Repeal the Electoral Act No. 6 2010 and Enact the Electoral Act 2021 is still inchoate as the Conference Committee of both Houses must harmonise their respective positions and the National Assembly will conclude work on it and forward to the President for Assent,” Okoye stated.
