The manner in which the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Chukwuma Soludo, emerged as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for Anambra State’s gubernatorial election and his acceptance by the Independent National Electoral Commission, despite the expiration of set deadline, is an indication that the 2011 general elections will not be transparent, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) said on Sunday.
The group of opposition parties said Mr. Soludo is not the popular choice of the PDP members in Anambra State and will, therefore, be holding an illegitimate mandate if he eventually wins the February 6, 2010, governorship election in the state.
The CNPP, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Osita Okechukwu, called on the National Assembly to, as a matter of urgent national importance, fasttrack genuine electoral reform in order to save the nation’s democracy.
The statement said: “The sordid outcome and failure of PDP to conduct free, fair, and transparent gubernatorial primary, in spite of the deployment of soldiers, serving governors, ministers and the Speaker, is that Professor C.C. Soludo emerged the candidate of PDP without the genuine votes of members of the PDP, but that of President Umaru Musa Yaradua and fixers in the party.
PDP’s chronic phobia for election, even in this instance, is painful not only because it signposts 2011 election looming anarchy, but the main objective of intra-party primary to enhance and restore the inalienable rights of party members to choose the candidate of their choice and purify the electoral process, had been violently atrophied by party bosses, fixers and their machine.
“Consequently, Professor C.C. Soludo had wittingly or unwittingly violated the PDP Constitution as a beneficiary of an illegitimate mandate; hence PDP and their surrogates like Professor Maurice Iwu pose great threat of denying the good people of Anambra State the opportunity to elect a governor of their choice, under a free and fair election template. CNPP thus contends that the fundamental principle of democracy is substantially flawed in Anambra State PDP gubernatorial primary, for the PDP Constitution was violated and INEC 6pm deadline violently disobeyed.”
Phobia for elections
The group said that lots of Nigerian democrats had predicted that the Anambra State PDP gubernatorial primary would show-case free, fair and transparent election, but that the prediction never came to pass.
“To us, democracy is a journey not a destination. The violation and disobedience of INEC 6pm deadline of October 9, 2009, and lack of internal democracy from the so-called largest political party in Africa calls for a great concern; as robust practice of internal democracy and obedience to INEC rules are essential ingredient to electoral rule of law and procedure for free, fair and transparent elections. CNPP highly objects to the late submission made by the PDP; for it is too early in the day for Professor Maurice Iwu to start bending the rules in favour of PDP as an axe man. We will contest this to the highest court in the land.”
The CNPP said that it has always maintained that the ruling party’s phobia for elections is synonymous with their inordinate ambition to transform Nigeria into a one-party state and rule for 60 years.
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