Mixed Reactions Trail Judgment On Sequence Of Elections

Mixed reactions continue to trail last week’s judgment by the Federal High Court, Abuja, that “INEC retains the right to hold elections in the order it deems fit”.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the court nullified the amendment to the 2010 Electoral Acts by the National Assembly, which put the Presidential Election before the governorship polls.

Some party chiefs who spoke with NAN in Lagos on Monday commended the judiciary, while others argued that sequence of elections should not be a matter of concern.

Mr. Damian Ogbonna, National Chairman of Peoples’ Progressive Party (PPP), said if INEC could give Nigerians a credible free and fair election, sequence would not matter.

“In a situation whereby elections are supposed to be free and fair, it does not matter what comes first and what comes last,” he said.

According to Ogbonna, it is wrong in the first place for elections to be staggered.

He argued that once elections were staggered, the process would no longer be fair.

“Whichever party has the majority votes in the first one will likely have more votes in subsequent ones. So, the fairness in the whole process is removed.

“In a good democracy, elections are held at once. Staggering elections gives way to rigging,” he said.

Also commenting on the judgement, Alhaji Musa Umar, a former chieftain of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) commended the judiciary for doing the right thing.

“It is a good thing that it should be reversed and the presidential election will come last instead of coming first,” he said.

Umar, however, said that sequence of elections should not worry anybody because “the case in Nigeria, which is winner-takes-all, normally leads to a bandwagon effect.

“We all know that if the presidential election is held first, whoever emerges the president will influence the direction of the next elections.

“So it is a good thing that the court has reversed it and the presidential election will now come last,” he said.

Sen. Suleiman Salau, National Chairman of the Action Alliance (AA), argued, however, that sequence of elections meant nothing to a party that is strong and on ground.

“We do not need to bother about sequence of elections at all, once a party is strong, there is nothing anybody can do,” he said.

He, however, advised the electorate continue to vote for a party of their choice, whether the presidential comes first or last.

“What should be an issue of concern is for INEC to provide a level playing field for all Nigerians,” he said.