They National Conference on Tuesday voted in favour of scrapping of the State Independent Electoral Commissions in the country.Delegates’ action was however in variance with the recommendation by the Committee on Political Parties and Electoral Matters, which recommended that rather than scrapping of SIECs, efforts should be made to strengthen them with a view to making them more effective, as well as improving their credibility.It added that provision should be made for the financial indecent of SIECs by giving them a first line charge in the state’s budget.
The report of the committee, which was chaired by a former Senate President. Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, also stated that the the issues relating to the composition and administration of SIECs should be activated through a law of the State House of Assembly.It added that, “State Houses of Assembly, should legislate on the details of the composition and administration of SIECs as well as confirm their members.“State houses of assembly should legislate on the tenure of elected local government officials.”But delegates, while going through the recommendations and amendments of the committee, argued that the state electoral commissions had become a tool in the hands of state governors.Among the delegates who spoke in favour of the scrapping was the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, who argued that it was impossible for the opposition to win local government elections in states.In some instances, he said that election results were already prepared in government houses and that elections were just a mere formalities.On electronic voting, the conference said that it should be suspended until after the 2015 general elections, and also said that May 29 should be scrapped as Democracy Day.It also voted that the age of those who want to contest for the State Houses of Assembly should be reduced to 25 years.The conference however rejected the recommendation that financial transactions of political parties should be done through banks to encourage the ongoing cashless policy of the Federal Government.
It equally rejected the call for the introduction of option A4 to be used by political parties during primaries and during general elections.It also agreed that those who have been found wanting to have contributed to electoral malpractices would be banned for a period of ten years before being qualified to contest elective or be appointed to public office.The conference also stripped INEC off the power to deregister political parties, while it ruled that Youth Leaders of political parties should not be more than 35 yearsOther actions and recommendations taken by the delegates during their sitting were that, those aspiring to contest for the offices of the President, Governors, members of the National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Chairmen, should have a minimum of of first degree.It was however agreed that the minimum academic qualification for Local Government Councillors must be a minimum of secondary school certificate.
Though the conference outlawed defection, it however agreed that elected political office holders and members of the political parties that merged into one should be allowed to remain in their offices.The conferee also voted against what it called militarization of the polity.With this, the conference was asking the government to stop sending the military for election monitoring.The Deputy Chairman of the conference, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, however warned delegates not to blame government if there were crisis during elections. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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