…Says, “Hon. Ugochinyere And Company Are Disgusting Hypocrites Acting The Script Of Retrogressive Cabal In Nigeria”
A renowned social critic and human rights activist, Comrade Igbotako Nowinta, has blasted Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere of the House of Representatives for rushing a bill to hand over State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), instead of asking too for the review of law setting up INEC.
Comrade Nowinta, Executive – Director, Nigeria Good Governance Research Centre (NGGRC), who doubles as an international conflict resolution expert, made the above assertion via a press release titled: What Nigerians Want Urgently Is To Amend The Law Setting Up INEC, Not A Selfish Law Targeting SIECs Alone”, which he gave to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, October 9th, 2024.
He said “Agreed SIECs has become a naked disaster that must be scrapped because it has become a shameless appendage of sitting Governors, but what of INEC that has brought the greatest mockery to Nigerian people in the name of democracy?
It would be recalled that on Thursday, 3rd of October, 2024, A Bill being sponsored by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere representing Ideato North /Ideato South Federal Consistency in Imo State and 24 members of the House of Representatives, seeking the selection of section 98 (1) of the Electoral Act, to merge SIECs with INEC, passed through the first reading on the floor of the House.
According to the details of the said press release:
“The steps being initiated by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere and 24 other members of the House of Representatives to transfer the authority for conducting local government elections from the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to stop the influence of state governors over local governance, is in order, but what of the law establishing Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC)?”
“Agreed SIECs has become a naked disaster that must be scrapped because it has become a shameless appendage of sitting Governors, but what of INEC that has brought the greatest mockery to Nigerian people in the name of democracy, by constantly dancing to the tunes of a political cabal in Nigeria”
“What Nigerians want urgently is to amend the law setting up INEC, not a selfish law targeting SIECs alone; if SIECs must be knocked off, the law setting up INEC must be reviewed too, a perfect case is how the governorship election held on September 21st, 2024 in Edo state, was brazenly rigged in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)”
“Nigeria Good Governance Research Centre (NGGRC) sees clearly that Hon. Ugochinyere and company are disgusting hypocrites acting the script of retrogressive cabal in Nigeria. How do we mean? This bill is being rushed because some opposition state governors have succeeded in using it recently against the interest of the ruling party. Why now? Why not before now? This development is the most brazen attempt to spit on our faces leaving INEC to continue to abuse us to our bones”.
“If the sponsors of this bill are not cowards, cockroaches and rabbits, how would they rush a proposed legislation simply because the situation on the grounds is not in their favor? This is the zenith of display of staggering dishonesty. What should be a matter of urgent public importance should be the drastic review of the law setting up INEC”
“We urge that the right legal muzzle should be inserted into INEC clauses, so that elections should be electronically conducted across board in Nigeria, and to accommodate constitutionally, neutral men of honor, integrity and wisdom who will perpetually go after national interests, never the interests of a demented cabal such as it is being done today”.
“We dare to stare that INEC is overdue for overhauling, to align with what is obtainable in Europe and America. A body so fundamental to millions of Nigerians, and so central to their ability to participate fully and equally in democratic process should have been of greater interest to Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere and his cronies. Those currently benefiting from the current fragile and rampaging arrangement of INEC should stop their glaring mockery”.
