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| Prof. Attahiru Jega |
• Threatens to sanction parties engaged in early campaigns
By: Chuks Okocha in
Abuja
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, yesterday reacted to calls for a two-party system
in Nigeria, stating that the commission does not have the powers to legislate
it into existence.
Jega, speaking on a programme aired on Channels Television,
explained that a two-party system could only evolve over time.
His remarks came
against the backdrop of the call last week by President Goodluck Jonathan for a
two-party system that would help to
stabilise the polity.
The only time Nigeria operated a two-party system was during
the stillborn Third Republic when the then military president, General Ibrahim
Babangida, by military fiat, created the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP)
and the National Republican Convention (NRC) .
But according to Jega, history had shown that in countries
where there are only two parties, the system evolved over time.
He said: “As a professor of comparative studies, a two-party
system usually evolves. A study of the countries with a two-party system shows
that it usually evolves. It is not what can be legislated upon.
"The United States of America is one of the countries
with a two-party system. It was not legislated upon; but evolved gradually
through the system.”
He also threatened to sanction groups that violate the
electoral guidelines by embarking on early campaigns.
“Politicians and political parties cannot commit electoral
offences with impunity and go scot-free without sanctions. The guidelines
say don’t commence early campaigns until
the guidelines are released. We have the guidelines on what the constitution
and the Electoral Act say. Whenever we have such violations, we shall
investigate and those found guilty shall face necessary action,” he added.
The INEC chairman faulted claims that those who committed
electoral offences were not being prosecuted, adding that about 200 electoral
offenders, including staff members of the commission, members of the National
Youths Service Corps (NYSC) and others have been prosecuted.
Although he said the number was small, he lamented that the
commission had logistics difficulty to effectively prosecute offenders, hence
the need for another agency to help in their prosecution.
He added that although the commission had begun talks with
the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for the prosecution of electoral offenders,
such a venture would only be
effective when another agency handles
the prosecution.
Jega also ruled out conducting the 2015 general
election in a day as some people have
suggested, but explained that there was the sequence of elections that had
taken over staggered elections.
Jega who said staggering elections would have its
challenges, added that if there would be staggered elections, it would take
about three years to conduct governorship elections in the 36 states.
However, he explained that the present sequence of elections
was gradually taking over the staggering of elections.
He also commented on the yet-to-be released permanent
voters’ cards (PVC), saying it would be used with a card reader that was meant
to detect multiple registration.
On the amendment to the Electoral Act, Jega singled out
sections 31 and 87 as the areas needing an immediate amendment because they are
obstacles to internal democracy within the party.
He acknowledged that the commission has received the
application for the registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and
that soon INEC would make its position
known.
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