PRESS STATEMENT FEBRUARY 26TH 2009
ELECTORAL REFORM REPORT
WHITE PAPER OF HIDDEN AGENDA
Whereas in ordinary times the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties {CNPP} would not object to Federal Government leisurely reviewing a panel report; however as per the Electoral Reform Report, leisure review smacks of President Umaru Musa Yaradua’s Hidden Agenda, to abort the Electoral Reform through Constitutional Amendment.
CNPP predicates our Hidden Agenda allegation not only on earlier reports, that the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party {PDP} , who want to rule and ruin Nigeria for 60 years are opposed to Electoral Reform until after 2011 Elections. Given this scenario, we are appalled that they are employing delay tactics to abort the Electoral Reform on the pretext of reviewing a job well done; ignoring the fact that President Yaradua’s party, the Peoples Democratic Party {PDP}, like other political parties and stakeholders had submitted position papers to Electoral Reform Committee {ERC}, upon which the ERC Report was anchored. All the Ministers are members of the PDP or their alliance parties and we do not see why the Federal Executive Council should be used as a decoy.
They also wittingly ignored the fact that the president nominated 22 members of the ERC, who are experienced professionals and most importantly presented ready made Electoral Reform Bills to be forwarded straight to the legislature; bearing in mind that going by Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution it is only the National and State Assemblies that are empowered to amend the Constitution.
It is our considered view that no matter how thorough the Attorney General and Minister of Justice’s Committee reconciles and fine tunes the ERC Report; it is still going to be subjected to rigorous debate at both the National and State Assemblies. We concerned that up-to-date the ERC Report has been kept secret.
Accordingly, we opine that Time is of Essence, in amending any section in a rigid constitution, a truism which President Yaradua and his team are very much aware; but in effort to abort the Electoral Amendment process, unpatriotically and deliberately refuse to use the over 700 out 880 Hon Members of State Houses of Assembly, over 280 Hon Members of the Federal House of Representatives and over 80 Senators out 109 of the PDP to as a matter of urgent national importance and amendment the defective sections of the Constitution and save Nigeria from Do – or – Die Electoral Process.
White Paper is a Hidden Agenda and diversionary tactics to postpone Electoral Reform.
Osita Okechukwu
National Publicity Secretary
CNPP
08039738870
