The Middle Belt Forum (MBF), a sociocultural organization, has criticized Nigeria’s democracy and the National Assembly’s capabilities.
According to Naija News, MBF’s National Publicity Secretary, Isuwa Dogo, stated that the country’s democracy is still in need of improvement due to electoral malpractice, a corrupt legal system, and inadequate legislative representation.
Dogo stated in an interview with the Daily Independent that the country’s electoral system, which includes internal party politics, has denied its people the ability to choose their own leaders.
In Nigeria, I’m not sure if democracy is being practiced. There is scarcely anything that is not impacted, either directly or indirectly. every election, including those for the presidency and local government council seats.
Somebody, somewhere, a party, a group, a person, a tribe, a religious organization, and people with various interests will attempt to influence it in one way or another. You’ll also find that practically every election ends up in court, which isn’t how it would be in a democracy.
At no point has the court reversed some of them or most of the very important ones, like the governorship, the senatorial, and the presidency. No matter how manipulated it might have been, the court will still say the person was duly elected.
“So, it’s either the court is being induced criminally to give their verdict, or they just don’t want to waste their time to do the right thing.
“Another aspect is that from the primaries, people spend so much money to buy off the delegates.
“They’re voting for people who are the highest bidders. So right from the very councillorship to the highest level, the presidency,” Dogo said.
The Middle Belt Forum Spokesman decried the mass defection of politicians to the All Progressives Congress (APC). This, he said, could be to protect themselves from trial for corrupt practices, citing statement of former Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole.
Dogo stressed that politicians who defect to other parties should be made to lose their offices. He said the law has to be reviewed to address the wave of defections.
“Like this gale of defections, when Adams Oshiomhole was APC national chairman, would say if you come to APC, your sins are forgiven. That is to say, no matter how corrupt you are, if you go to the APC, there’s nobody that will touch you.
However, the fact that you lose your job if you defect should have been the most intriguing feature. because you ran for office on the party’s platform. But that is not the situation now,” he stated.
He went on to criticize the National Assembly for not being a true representative of the people.
The National Assembly, in my opinion, is no longer even in existence. The National Assembly’s ability to represent the people is what makes it so beautiful.
Are they the people’s representatives? Name one bill that they have supported since the start of this administration.
When it comes to political issues, there’s really no judiciary. You know, why? Because it’s the executive that elects the judiciary,” he noted.
Dogo added that Nigeria’s democracy needs urgent help if it must survive, including ensuring that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is independent and officials are not appointed by the president.
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