OneVOICE
Common Concerns, Common Action
10, Afolabi Lesi Street, Ilupeju, Lagos. P.M.B. 7247.
Lagos, Nigeria.
Telephone: +2348034040009
June 23, 2016
His
Excellency,
Muhammadu
Buhari, GCFR,
President,
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,
Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Aso
Rock Villa,
Abuja.
Your
Excellency,
URGENT NEED FOR ELECTORAL REFORMS ON
POLITICAL FINANCE
On
behalf of Independent Advocacy Project and OneVOICE, a coalition of ten (10)
leading civil society groups working to promote respect for constitutional
governance and human rights, we commend
you on the ongoing anti-graft crusade. We are of the opinion that it is for no
other purpose than the good and the benefit of the country and we therefore
pledge our full support for it.
We
write to humbly request your Excellency’s urgent intervention on the compelling
need for Electoral Reforms on Political Finance and Campaign Expenses.
Indeed, the centrality of money in politics,
particularly in running the affairs of political parties and campaign expenses,
cannot be over-emphasized. Political parties require money for operations of
party organizations at the national, regional or local level; to educate
citizens on various initiatives and
activities, including manifestos; to
fund individual candidate’s election campaigns, candidate committees, interest
groups or political parties themselves;
to contest for nomination or selection of parliamentary candidates; to
conduct training activities for party activists, office holders or candidates;
and to conceptualize policy development by parties or party related bodies.
But problem arises
when funds, sometimes from illicit sources, which could determine election
outcomes, find their way into the political arena. In such a
situation, money may come into conflict with the democratic principles
of civic equality and fair competition in elections and can also undermine
political representation, thereby subverting the will of the general
electorate.
Questionable Sources
There
have been situations, in recent elections, when resources have become a
decisive factor in the outcome of elections, instead of programmes on which
candidates have campaigned.. Often money contributed to electoral campaigns has
been able to safeguard private interests, thus inhibiting political parties and
candidates representing collective interests in effectively communicating their
ideas. It becomes even more problematic when the party in office uses public
resources and infrastructure for the benefit of the electoral campaigns of its
candidates.
Also,
there are problems when companies contribute to electoral campaigns in exchange
for future favours from elected representatives; when illegal groups, such as
organized crime, drug-traffickers or
armed groups support candidates who when elected will inadvertently support
such groups and illegal interests; when resources used to fund electoral
campaigns are raised individually from questionable sources by candidates,
thereby creating the risk of personal commitment on the part of the candidate
to the donor; when candidates use financial resources for inappropriate
purposes, such as vote purchasing or other forms of unfair competition; when
elected representatives have, in general, a greater commitment to donors than
to the public; when representatives use their position and attendant government
resources to gain re-election; and when civic equality, reflected in the
principle of each individual having one vote, is undermined by the unwarranted
ability of some to contribute money to politics.
Experience since 1999
All
these, and many more, have been the Nigerian experience since 1999, and this no
doubt, has called into question the legitimacy of elected representatives as
well as their ability to develop rules aimed at benefitting the general
populace..
Your
Excellency, it is no longer news now that Nigeria conducted the most highly
monetized general elections in 2015, amounting to over N3 trillion,
according to conservative estimates. There is credible evidence that a major
portion of this amount was stolen from
state treasuries across the country. Also, it has become clear that proceeds of
crime – such as oil bunkering, drugs, transnational illegal business
transactions etc. – have found their way into campaign funds through money
laundering. Also government officials,
including
(civil servants, serving ministers, state commissioners, even officials of
agencies such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Police,
Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Directorate of State Security (DSS) and
the military) were deployed to determine the outcomes of the 2015 elections to
favour certain candidates.
Only
God’s intervention and civil society’s resolute vigilance and determination to
vote in, a new leadership rescued the nation from certain doom.
It
has now become public knowledge (going by the unending discoveries of stolen
public funds, sleaze, ghost workers phenomenon, and huge funds that were
unaccounted for by the 81 revenue collection agencies, etc.) that Nigeria, as a
nation, has been bled dry. We now know that the State Capture by the political
elite lies not in being able to win elections through electoral campaigns,
manifestoes and fair contest but through phenomenal violence with attendant
loss of lives and properties, aided by huge sums of funds. In essence, the choices
of ordinary Nigerians do not count, as only the rich and mighty and their
cohorts influence election outcomes with impunity.
We
are aware that one of the ways to circumvent the electoral law which prescribes
90 days to the general elections as commencement date for political
party-and-candidate campaigns is for the cronies and sympathizers to establish
well-resourced Non Governmental Organizations that often erect billboards
across the country. Such individuals also hold dubious political rallies in the
six geo-political zones, ostensibly to persuade their sponsor-candidates to run
for political offices.
We
are aware that six months after every general elections political parties and
candidates who stood for elections are supposed to audit all the funds received
and spent during the election and submit the report to INEC, who in turn must
make the report public. Sadly, no candidate or political party has ever done so
since 2007.
OUR PRAYERS (RECOMMENDATIONS)
As
a result of the foregoing, our requests as civil society actors are as follows:
(a) We urge your Administration to commence the
full implementation of Chief Justice Uwais panel recommendations especially
pertaining to the creation of the Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal to
mitigate increasing violence and malpractices during elections.
(b) It is imperative that your Administration
introduce needed reforms in INEC, EFCC, and the Code of Conduct Bureau/Tribunal
in terms of
security of tenure
for their heads, statutory financial autonomy and other administrative reforms.
Indeed, we are seeking the amendment of section
153 of the 1999 Constitution to strengthen these and other similar public
institutions to make them have first charge on the Federation Account and other
necessary guarantees by the 1999 Constitution. We are also seeking a review of the
Electoral Law 2010 to incorporate card reader technology, permanent voter’s
card and adoption of voters’ accreditation and simultaneous voting process,
among other reforms. Our experts will be working with relevant
committees in the National Assembly on this particular proposal.
(c) Our organizations condemn, in very strong
terms, corruption in all its facets, particularly the diversion of public
resources to fund elections. Therefore, we will continue to support your
Administration in its anti-corruption pursuit which is highly commendable.
(d) We also urge you to publicly condemn
violence during elections and make it clear that offenders shall be prosecuted
and punished by the relevant authorities.
(e) INEC and Political Parties should be
transparent and accountable by making public disclosure of their financial
accounts.
Mr.
President Sir, it is our firm belief and conviction that the change mantra of
your Administration will benefit the nation Nigeria if these reforms are
urgently introduced and implemented.
We
are looking forward to your prompt response, and our representatives will be
most willing to discuss the issues in this letter with you or your designated
representative at your earliest convenience your Excellency.
signed
Pastor Adedeji
Adeleye Dr. Paul Adewale Balogun
Executive
Director Executive Director
Independent Advocacy Project Centre
for Constitutional
& Chair, OneVOICE Media
Committee Governance & Chairman
35, Seriki Aro Str., off Awolowo Way, OneVOICE
Coalition
Ikeja, Lagos.
Tel: 08023098036, 08038198669
E-mail: iap@iap-nigeria.org
(dejiadeleye.blogspot.com)
Cc:
1. Dr Bukola Saraki, Senate President, NASS Abuja
2. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the House of Reps. NASS
3. Governor Akinwumi Ambode on behalf Nigeria Governors' Forum
4. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa on behalf of All Speakers of State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria
About OneVOICE
OneVoice
is an alliance of frontline non-governmental organizations in Lagos. The strategic focus of the group is to
reinvigorate civil society and thus support the vision of a vibrant democracy which
requires the pursuit of a mission of promoting a new ‘servant’ leadership;
result-oriented service and pro-people policy paradigms.
The
overall goal of the alliance is to drive the democratic process in Nigeria with
actions directed at restoring the public’s faith in government of, by, and for
the Nigerian people; improving accountability, honesty and openness at all
levels of government; demand the highest ethics from every public servant as
well as provide alternative views on policy and governance mechanisms.
The
alliance engages on information gathering, issue-focused dialogue, information
dissemination, advocacy and stand-up actions.
Members of OneVOICE
Coalition:
1. Access to Justice (A2J), Apapa Lagos
2. Center for Constitutional Governance (CCG),
Ilupeju Lagos
3. Center for Constitutionalism and
Demilitarization (CENCOD), Ogba Lagos
4. Human Rights Law Services (HURILAWS),
Apapa Lagos
5. Independent Advocacy Project (IAP), Ikeja
Lagos
6. National Automotive Technicians of Nigeria (NATA),
Abule-Egba, Lagos
7. Network of Police Reform in Nigeria
(NOPRIN), Ikeja Lagos
8. New Initiative for Social Development
(NISD), Ado
Ekiti
9. Socio Economic Rights and Accountability
Project (SERAP), Ikeja Lagos
10. Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC), Ikeja Lagos.
