| INEC has failed the
electorate, says NBA
By GODWIN TSA, Abuja
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC], Tuesday
came under severe attacks from the Nigerian Bar Association
[NBA] which lampooned the commission over the conduct of the
2003 general elections and the April council polls, insisting
that both elections did not reflect the wishes of the electorate.
Chairman of the commission, Dr. Abel Guobadia, who chaired
one of the sessions at the on-going NBA conference was told
to his face by discussants at the session that the electoral
body failed in its responsibility of conducting a free and
fair elections for the country.
Specifically, Dr Festus Iyayi who spoke on the topic; ''Electoral
Malpractices and the Future of Democracy in Nigeria'', noted
that the system where members of the electoral body are card
carrying members of the rulling political party does not argur
well for the nations democracy.
He contented that this arrangment robed INEC of its role as
an umpire in the electoral process, stressing that ''no member
of the commission should be allowed to belong to any political
party''.
Also speaking at the forum, Human Right Activist, Mr Femi
Falana faulted the arrangement where a sitting president is
allowed to contest election without resigning from office,
adding that such an arrangement will always create room for
malpracties in the system.
Falana who descended heavily on the electoral body declared
that ''there was no election in 2003, what happened was selection''.
By the same token, Alhaji Aliyu Abuakar, one of the discussants,argued
that,INEC as well as the Electoral Laws need to be reformed
to have a time frame for the speedy dispensation of electoral
matters.
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),
Mallam Nuhu Ribadu in his paper titled "Problems Asociated
with the Enforcement of Economic Crimes" said: "There
is need to amend the Evidence Act, the Criminal Procedure
Act and the Criminal Procedure Code to accommodate the technological
advancement and challenges of our contemporary times."
The EFCC boss also urged that "members of the legal profession
as represented by this august asembly must demonstrate the
highest ethical standards in the administration of justice."
Calling for the amendment of the 19 99 Constitutiojn, Ribadu
said: "The 1999 Constitution needs to be ammended to
remove those constraints in the enforcemnet of economic and
financial crimes. It must balance the right of the citizens
against those of the state.
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