- •Decry low reportage of proceedings at NASS Election petition tribunals
A coalition of civil society organisations under the auspices of Coalition of Parliamentary Advocates and Democracy Consolidation Nigerian has said that over 50 percent of National Assembly seats are currently being challenged at the Election petition tribunals.
The group which decried low reportage of proceedings at the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunals, however, said that the Kano Central Senatorial District election was ready for determination.
Speaking at a news conference, spokesman of the Coalition, Ambassador Chibuzor Okereke said judgement on the Kano Central senatorial election would be a test case for the Electoral Act.
He said while the media was awash with reports from the Presidential Election Petition Tribunals, nothing was heard about what is going on at the National Assembly Tribunals.
He said, “Democracy attraction and the unique virtues of democratic design are the opportunities for active participation of citizens in the public leadership recruitment process, the entrenched premium on the rule of law piloted by the judiciary and the media, and citizens’ oversight of governance institutions to ensure justice, accountability, and transparency in public affairs.
“The legislature which is the fulcrum of democracy is the closest arm of government to the people; the only arm that offers the largest direct representation of citizens, naturally structured to guarantee citizens’ participation in decision-making processes in all realms of lawmaking, oversight, representation, and constituency services, thereby ensuring participatory and deliberative democracy.
“Accordingly, priority interest and active participation of citizens and constituents in the ongoing judicial proceedings at the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunals is crucial to Nigeria’s democratic development and consolidation.
“In spite of the fundamental role the National and sub-national legislatures play in a democratic system as practiced in Nigeria, the interest of Nigerians in this all-important arm of government leaves much to be desired.
He emphasised that over these years, the legislature was still challenged by a high legislative turnover rate both in terms of the rate of return to the National Assembly and in the rate of serving legislators who are devoted to core legislative functions and institutional building.
“Others are the lingering problems of low perception of the legislature by citizens, issues surrounding the general recruitment process, and low media coverage of some legislative matters.
He said that about 50% of the 469 seats in the National Assembly were currently being challenged at the various National Assembly Election Petition Tribunals (NAEPT) across the country, alleging however that there appears to be an untended suppression and low interest of the media in the proceedings of the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunals.
He said “whereas the various flagship platforms of major media organizations are daily saturated with the reportage of the proceedings of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunals, little or no attention has been channeled toward the interesting and intriguing proceedings that have characterized the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunals.
“The fourth estate of the realm which is the media saddled with the responsibility of setting the agenda, enlightening the public, and obligation of accountability of the government to the people has unfortunately not shown the required interest in the coverage of the proceedings of the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunals.
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“We are deeply worried that the paucity of publicity of the major media coverage of the Legislative Election Petition Tribunals and by extension the oversight of the Judiciary may have serious implications if not urgently addressed.
“The media is heavily a washed with the trends and the developments in the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal and discussions and engagements among citizens on its proceedings while the Legislatures Tribunal Matters are barely even reported especially the petitions that are now being concluded and awaiting judgments.
“Prominent among the cases in this category is the Kano Central Senatorial district petition, among others which is now set for judgment by July 24th, 2023.
“Kano Central is about the largest Senatorial District in Nigeria and the only Senatorial District in the 2023 General Elections where the person returned as the winner by INEC relinquished the victory after the declaration on the grounds that he had resigned his membership of the party that sponsored him as the candidate before the election, at the time also, the window for candidates replacement/substitution has elapsed in accordance with the relevant extant provisions of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act, 2022 and the INEC 2023 General Elections Guidelines.
“But following INEC concerns, challenging of the matter in court, and eventual Supreme Court Ruling, a certificate of return was issued to another Member of the Party. The Kano Central Election Petition is a litmus test to the Judiciary in terms of procedure and the extant provisions of Nigeria’s electoral governance laws and framework. Our Eyes Are on the Kano Central Judgement being expected.
“These and more are what have made the Kano Central Senatorial District Tribunal Case unique and intriguing as it presents an observable lacuna in the much-celebrated 2022 Electoral law.
“But more importantly, it is a litmus test for the judiciary and judges saddled with that responsibility in line with the prescriptions and predictions of section 285 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act, Electoral Guidelines, and the point of law. We believe this should agitate the minds of all promoters and defenders of democracy that is based on the rule of law.
”We believe that the legislature, judiciary, media, and active citizens have the utmost responsibility to continue to demonstrate resilience in ways and means that promote transparency, accountability, an equitable and responsible show of duty of care by all State and non-state actors in solidarity with the prevailing ideals of democracy. Democracy is about the process which confers legitimacy based on constitutionalism”.