APC Has Perfected Plans To Rule Nigeria Indefinitely — Falana SAN

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) yesterday disclosed
that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had perfected plans to
rule the country indefinitely.

Falana, a former President of the West African Bar Association
(WABA), also said the Electoral Amendment Bill might not be signed
into law citing the failure of the National Assembly to complete
the process of its enactment and transmit it to President Muhammadu
Buhari for assent.

He expressed these grave concerns during an exclusive interview
with THISDAY yesterday, pointing out how the Buhari administration
reneged on different promises made to Nigerians during presidential
campaigns in 2014.

Falana, who spoke on diverse issues of national concerns during
the interview, said: “Unlike the PDP, which boasted that it would
rule Nigeria for 60 years, the APC has perfected plans to rule
Nigeria indefinitely.

“Hence, the new Electoral Amendment Bill is not likely to be
signed into law. Very soon, Nigerians will be told that the bill
cannot be signed by the president since the 2023 elections are
around the corner,” he observed.

Reflecting on Buhari’s breach of campaign promises, Falana
explained how the APC had campaigned to reform the electoral
process by implementing the recommendations of the Justice Muhammed
Uwais Electoral Reform Panel before the 2015 elections

Upon assumption of power, however, the human rights lawyer noted
with grave concern that the ruling party reneged on its pact with
the people on electoral reform.

Before the Ekiti State governorship election in 2014, he
explained how some APC leaders obtained court orders, which
restrained the Jonathan administration from deploying the armed
forces in the management of elections.

He, however, said: “The APC government deploys armed military
and police personnel in the manipulations of elections including
local government elections. As if that is not enough, voters are
induced with money, rice, beans and salt in utter contravention to
the Electoral Act.”

On these grounds, the senior advocate claimed that the Buhari
administration had failed to reform the country’s dysfunctional
electoral system after six years in the saddle, hence contravening
its campaign promise.

Before the 2015 elections, the APC entrenched restructuring in
its manifesto and campaigned for power devolution from the centre
to the other federating units, one of the reasons it garnered
popular support nationwide.

Apart from its promise to devolve powers to the federating
units, the APC also campaigned to reform the country’s electoral
system in line with the recommendation of the Justice Muhammed
Uwais Electoral Reform Panel.

On December 7, 2018, Buhari rejected the Electoral Amendment
Bill that could have transformed the country’s electoral system
positively on the ground that it could affect the 2019 elections
contrary to these promises.

In the same way, the president had not taken any concrete step
to implement the report of the APC Committee on True Federalism;
the outcome had fuelled agitations either for return to regional
government or outright separation from Nigeria in different parts
of the country.

Despite Buhari’s lukewarm approach to comprehensive electoral
reforms, Falana challenged the National Assembly to fast-track the
process of amending the Electoral Amendment Bill ahead of the 2023
general election.

He recommended the need to legalise the use of card readers and
electronic voting and collation of results and direct transmission
to INEC central server.
He urged the National Assembly to prioritise the review of the
Electoral Amendment Bill since the president did not sign the bill
into law in 2018 on the ground that it was too close to the last
general election.

The human rights lawyers observed that the new bill “has not
been passed and forwarded to the president for his assent for
reasons best known to both chambers of the National Assembly.

“The delay is affecting the preparations of INEC for the 2023
general election. It is high time sufficient pressure was mounted
on the federal legislators to pass the Electoral Amendment Bill as
a further delay will adversely affect the conduct and management of
future elections in the country.

“But it is doubtful if the country can hold a peaceful general
election in 2023. In 2015, the Jonathan administration postponed
the general election for six weeks because some local governments
in Borno State were under the control of terrorists.

“Today, a number of state governments and hundreds of local
governments are under either total or partial control of
insurgents, bandits and other gunmen. It is hoped that the federal
government will not invoke and apply Section 135 of the 1999
Constitution,” he observed

He noted that the section empowered the president “to postpone
elections if he considers that it is not practicable to hold
elections on the ground that the country is involved in a war in
which its territory is physically involved.

“This is why all hands should be on deck to enact a new
electoral law, which should provide for electronic voting. That is
the only way to ensure that elections are conducted in many parts
of the country at any given time.”

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) yesterday disclosed
that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had perfected plans to
rule the country indefinitely.

Falana, a former President of the West African Bar Association
(WABA), also said the Electoral Amendment Bill might not be signed
into law citing the failure of the National Assembly to complete
the process of its enactment and transmit it to President Muhammadu
Buhari for assent.

He expressed these grave concerns during an exclusive interview
with THISDAY yesterday, pointing out how the Buhari administration
reneged on different promises made to Nigerians during presidential
campaigns in 2014.

Falana, who spoke on diverse issues of national concerns during
the interview, said: “Unlike the PDP, which boasted that it would
rule Nigeria for 60 years, the APC has perfected plans to rule
Nigeria indefinitely.

“Hence, the new Electoral Amendment Bill is not likely to be
signed into law. Very soon, Nigerians will be told that the bill
cannot be signed by the president since the 2023 elections are
around the corner,” he observed.

Reflecting on Buhari’s breach of campaign promises, Falana
explained how the APC had campaigned to reform the electoral
process by implementing the recommendations of the Justice Muhammed
Uwais Electoral Reform Panel before the 2015 elections

Upon assumption of power, however, the human rights lawyer noted
with grave concern that the ruling party reneged on its pact with
the people on electoral reform.

Before the Ekiti State governorship election in 2014, he
explained how some APC leaders obtained court orders, which
restrained the Jonathan administration from deploying the armed
forces in the management of elections.

He, however, said: “The APC government deploys armed military
and police personnel in the manipulations of elections including
local government elections. As if that is not enough, voters are
induced with money, rice, beans and salt in utter contravention to
the Electoral Act.”

On these grounds, the senior advocate claimed that the Buhari
administration had failed to reform the country’s dysfunctional
electoral system after six years in the saddle, hence contravening
its campaign promise.

Before the 2015 elections, the APC entrenched restructuring in
its manifesto and campaigned for power devolution from the centre
to the other federating units, one of the reasons it garnered
popular support nationwide.

Apart from its promise to devolve powers to the federating
units, the APC also campaigned to reform the country’s electoral
system in line with the recommendation of the Justice Muhammed
Uwais Electoral Reform Panel.

On December 7, 2018, Buhari rejected the Electoral Amendment
Bill that could have transformed the country’s electoral system
positively on the ground that it could affect the 2019 elections
contrary to these promises.

In the same way, the president had not taken any concrete step
to implement the report of the APC Committee on True Federalism;
the outcome had fuelled agitations either for return to regional
government or outright separation from Nigeria in different parts
of the country.

Despite Buhari’s lukewarm approach to comprehensive electoral
reforms, Falana challenged the National Assembly to fast-track the
process of amending the Electoral Amendment Bill ahead of the 2023
general election.

He recommended the need to legalise the use of card readers and
electronic voting and collation of results and direct transmission
to INEC central server.
He urged the National Assembly to prioritise the review of the
Electoral Amendment Bill since the president did not sign the bill
into law in 2018 on the ground that it was too close to the last
general election.

The human rights lawyers observed that the new bill “has not
been passed and forwarded to the president for his assent for
reasons best known to both chambers of the National Assembly.

“The delay is affecting the preparations of INEC for the 2023
general election. It is high time sufficient pressure was mounted
on the federal legislators to pass the Electoral Amendment Bill as
a further delay will adversely affect the conduct and management of
future elections in the country.

“But it is doubtful if the country can hold a peaceful general
election in 2023. In 2015, the Jonathan administration postponed
the general election for six weeks because some local governments
in Borno State were under the control of terrorists.

“Today, a number of state governments and hundreds of local
governments are under either total or partial control of
insurgents, bandits and other gunmen. It is hoped that the federal
government will not invoke and apply Section 135 of the 1999
Constitution,” he observed

He noted that the section empowered the president “to postpone
elections if he considers that it is not practicable to hold
elections on the ground that the country is involved in a war in
which its territory is physically involved.

“This is why all hands should be on deck to enact a new
electoral law, which should provide for electronic voting. That is
the only way to ensure that elections are conducted in many parts
of the country at any given time.”