Former presidential candidate and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has restated the need for electoral reforms to guarantee the sanctity of the ballot box and foster democratic consolidation.
The APC stalwart also called for a general re-evaluation of politics and governance to meet the popular yearnings of Nigerians.
He said Nigerians would continue to treasure and defend democracy if the government was able to distribute its dividends to all and sundry.
Olawepo-Hashim, reflecting on 63 years of independence in Africa’s most populous country, observed that the gap between expectation and reality was confounding.
He contended that Nigeria is passing through hard times, urging the government to gird its loins.
Acknowledging the grave economic situation, as underscored by a lack of stable power supply, a high inflationary trend, soaring unemployment, and the impact of subsidy removal that has increased the cost of fuel and resulted in an attendant high cost of living, he said appropriate problem-solving measures are required to avoid extinguishing the hopes of the younger generation.
The former presidential candidate, speaking with reporters in Lagos, put Nigeria on the weighing scale against certain indicators and parameters of development, including democratic consolidation, the validity of the ballot box, economic prosperity, security, national unity, and values, all of which have been grossly eroded.
Beaming the spotlight on the electoral system, Olawepo-Hashim maintained that reform is long overdue and non-negotiable.
He described the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a powerful agency that should be re-examined and reformed to enhance its performance without hampering the democratic order.
Recalling the initial reform process of asserting INEC’s independence through financial autonomy as reflected in its ability to draw funding on a first-line charge, he said the mode of leadership recruitment in the commission should also be reformed.
He suggested that the INEC chairman and other national commissioners should be recruited, not by the President or the government in power but by the National Judicial Commission (NJC), which should also advertise the vacancies.
He stressed, “The President should not appoint the INEC chairman. He or she should be appointed by the NJC.” Olawepo-Hashim also said that to restore confidence in the electoral system, the burden of proof during post-election litigation should be on the umpire who conducted the exercise.
In his view, leaders should not be chosen by their war chest but should emerge through a transparent process. Stressing the need for a national rebirth, he said, “This should be a period of renaissance.
Enough of promoting the worst of us.” The APC chieftain, who suggested reforms within a reasonable timeframe, stated, “We should deal with these issues now, not six months before the election.”
Olawepo-Hashim lamented that military intervention in politics has remained a strong factor in national retrogression, despite the achievement of civil rule some 24 years ago.
He said, “After the military intervention, the tide of development was reversed, and Nigeria started regressing.
That affected the foundation of infrastructural development that was laid in the First Republic. Values have been eroded.
Today, Nigeria is divided. In the pre-independence years, Kashim Ibrahim, a Kanuri and a Muslim, ran for office in Benue-Plateau and was supported by Joseph Tarka.
Awo’ campaigned for Ernest Ikoli from the South-South against Samuel Akibsanya, a Yoruba, during the Nigeria Youth Movement (NYM) election.
There was no zoning. ‘Awo’ talked about federalism, not zoning. “Federalism is not ethnicity.
The rotation of power is not federalism. Issues are now looked at from the point of view of pro-North and pro-South. We need to reset our thinking.”
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