Justice Uwais Report and Electoral Reforms

6.Justice Uwais Report and Electoral Reforms.

When United States President Obama chose to visit Ghana in his first to visit Sub-Saharan Africa, virtually everyone in Nigeria grew furious at Obama for 'ignoring' Nigeria the supposed Giant of Africa,foremost state of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the fact that US being the highest buyer of our crude oil makes them our major trading partner. The government cried foul that Obama has belittled us as noticed in their actions. But the No.1 citizen of the world cannot be perturbed by our disposition when the United States can contain China,threaten Russia in its front yard,draw hatred from the French people,continue to be a successful prodigal son of the United Kingdom while curbing the insanity of the leaders of Iran,North Korea,Venezuela, Cuba and the Wahhabi Islamic extremist. In a response to the first question posed to him by ALLAFRICA.COM's Charles Cobb,Jr.,Reed Kramer and Tami Hultman at the Blue Room of the White House just before his visit to Ghana as published in the Saturday Punch,July 4 2009 He answered equivocally:

ALLAFRICA.COM:How is it that you happened to pick Ghana as the first place to visit in sub-Saharan Africa?

OBAMA:Well, part of the reason,is because Ghana has now undergone a couple of successful elections in which power was transferred peacefully,even a very close election.

Well,to digress a little,why should we be angry as if we are not aware that our monopoly as sub-Saharan Africa's major supplier of crude oil to the US is been threatened by discovery of large deposit of crude oil by Ghana. Affiong L. Affiong of New African magazine put it humorously that Obama was going to enjoy ' Fufu with crude oil soup' at the Obama Inn in Accra when he visits. We cannot quench US appetite for the black Gold being the world's biggest economy and consumer despite the recession. Some people even went further to draw the conclusion that President Yar'Adua as a form of protest refused to attend the UN summit because the venue was in Obama's home country leaving many to wonder if did not know that the United Nation is not an American Institution but a world body. What a cheap and timid diplomacy!

Back to the subject matter. A brief history of Nigerian elections from 1993 till date shows that the elections of June 12, 1993 presidential election has been acclaimed till date as the freeest and fairest. When Sani Abacha took over power,he tried to orchestrates a transition programme in which he compelled the five political parties to adopt him as their consensus candidate in their respective national conventions. An Act of God terminated that process with the death of Abacha on June 9^th,1998. General Abdulsalami Abubakar took over and started another transition programme to terminate in the emergence of a civilian administration in 1999.He conducted local government elections on the December 5,1998.The conduct of the 1998 elections received commendations from local and international observers,the proceeding 1999,2003 and 2007 general elections were massively rigged. A progressive deterioration could be noticed from the conduct of the elections from 1998.The 1999 election,with its flaws, was much more preferable to the 2003 while that of 2007 is considered the worst of all the experimentations.

Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua gave Nigerians a ray of hope when he admitted that the 2007 elections that brought him to power was flawed(rigged).He then set out to change the norm by setting up the Justice Uwais Electoral Reform Committee to look into our obsolete electoral laws and arrive at recommendations on how Nigerian votes will truly count in future elections. This committee under the Chairmanship of Retired Justice Muhammed Uwais was made up of Nigeria best brains cutting across the Academia, Government, Professional Bodies, Judiciary, Civil Society Organisations, Media and Labour. The committee did a wonderful job and submitted its recommendations which was well applauded by many who believed that its full implementation is the panacea for credible elections in the 2011 elections. Barely one year from the 2011 elections,insincerity on the part the Yar'Adua administration to pursue a true electoral reform that will truly change the face of Nigerian election is rife in the polity. He filtered the report and still retained critical areas such as the powers of the executive to appoint the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)which automatically means that the independence of the commission is compromised and can be influenced by the President among other issues that the Federal Executive Councils (FEC) rejected. There has been disagreement between the National Assembly and the Executive over the bills sent to it highlighting the insincerity of the FEC. This will indeed lead to another electoral fiasco in 2011.

Well meaning Nigerians, the Academia, Professional Bodies, Judiciary, Civil Society Organisations, Media,Labour and students have been calling for a full implementation of the Justice Uwais report. The National Assembly has been advised to conduct referendum on the full implementation of the Uwais Report if the executive still insist on its present position. Obama in that interview I made reference to earlier stated that there is “a direct correlation between governance and prosperity. Countries that are governed well,that are stable,where the leadership recognizes that they are accountable to the people” is what democracy entails. It is only a government elected by public vote without fraud that will see itself as accountable to people. We have been witnesses to the fact that this government has failed Nigerians,as I write this article there is consternation about the deregulation policy despite its rejection, the government intends to kick-start November 1^st .The government cannot be held accountable and the economy continues to deteriorate. A President that close to three years out of a four year tenure still has no achievements to enter the electioneering year. It hopes to frustrate the electoral reform it initiated so that he can perpetuate himself in office even when the state of his health suggest otherwise. Why would Obama come here to dine and make mockery of the world's most beautiful democracy.