Nigeria needs a stubborn electoral commission –Iwu

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Maurice Iwu, yesterday said Nigeria requires a “stubborn” electoral commission for the country to succeed in its socio- political development.

Iwu who spoke at the 2009 Better Society Lecture organised by Champion Newspapers entitled “2011: Political Behaviour and the Future of Elections in Nigeria”, said

“When an individual exists, as is still found these days, who single-handedly picks all candidates for a political party in all elections, the views and preferences of majority of party members notwithstanding, the grief for democracy becomes apparent. Nigeria therefore needs a stubborn electoral commission to succeed.”

He decried what he called the concept of African big man when individuals become “a lord whose word is law and to whom all those around him must bow in Nigerian politics”. Although he acknowledged that the electoral system needed reform, he insisted that the problems that had dogged Nigerian elections over the years were steeped in personal indiscipline and inordinate ambition of political players rather than the available laws.

Senate President, David Mark, in his remark said the INEC chairman is the not the cause of the nation’s electoral woes and challenged politicians who have Iwu’s signature on their certificates of return to resign first before calling for his head.

“Every elected politician that has Iwu’s signature of his certificate of return and wants Iwu removed should resign first before calling for his head. Iwu is not the problem of the nation’s electoral woes but our attitude, the electoral act is not the problem we should change our mindset before electoral reforms can work in the country,” Mark said.

extracted from www.dailytrust.com