Party System In Nigeria: A Need To Increase Ballot Access To All Nigerians Through An Independent Candidate By Dr. ‘Wole Adesina

By Dr. 'Wole Adesina
Sometimes, updating old ideas and policies in a country as situations
change become complex as new challenges evolve. With the way things
are going now in the present day Nigerian polity where it becomes
difficult for an average Nigerian to participate and contest for
election in his or her country becomes an issue in which to engage the
attention of patriotic Nigerians. Election of candidates and access to
ballots by Nigerians in the diaspora and mentally acute not-so-rich
citizens are limited by the qualification of political aspirants as
stipulated in the constitution, wealth, political connections,
affiliation to political parties, influence of political dynasty
families, and the corrupt party system.
An independent candidate is a citizen who desired to run for partisan
office but is not registered with any political parties nor has any
affiliation with any registered political parties. Presently, the
Nigeria constitution does not provide provision for an independent
candidate. In addition, Chapter V, Part C; 65 (1a-b, 2a-b) stated that
the qualification for membership of National Assembly and right of
attendance include:
65. (1) Subject to the provisions of section 66 of this Constitution,
a person shall be qualified for election as a member of:
(a) the Senate, if he is a citizen of Nigeria and has attained the age
of 35years; and
(b) the House of Representatives, if he is a citizen of Nigeria and
has attained the age of 30 years;
(2) A person shall be qualified for election under subsection (1) of
this section if:
(a) he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or
its equivalent; and
(b) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that party.
These same qualifications applied to all partisan office candidates
throughout Nigeria, from house of assembly to the Senate. Thus, with
the qualification set forth in 65(2b) of the constitution, many
Nigerians havebeen excluded from active participation in politics:
1. Those whose ideas are contrary tothe ruling political party and
do not want to join opposition party.
2. Those who are not-so-rich but intelligent with leadership
skills, however cannot meet the demands of high level party members
who demanded huge sums of money before any support is given to them to
contest in the party primary election, so they are denied access to
the ballot.
3. New returnee Nigerian citizens from the Diaspora who are denied
sponsorship by the action of high-level party members simply because
there are other loyal party members who had been on the list to
contest for the same partisan office before his or her arrival.
Looking at all these three categories of Nigerians and their
circumstances, section 65(2b) gave too much power to political parties
discriminate against returning Nigerian citizens from the Diaspora,
excluded centrism citizens whose ideology is in the middle or a little
to the left or right, and also encourage corruption and giving ballot
access to bandits, rouges, and intellectually weak candidates who see
politics as a business and not as service to the people of Nigeria.
Section 65(2b) therefor is discriminatory, does not provide equality
in participation in the governance of the country by the
aforementioned three categories. To move this country forward, all
Nigerians should be able to participate effectively in the legislative
houses without intimidation regardless of their financial status,
ideology, and length of stay in the country. In order to give access
to other Nigerians and limit the party system monopoly, candidate
fixing, inequality, nepotism, and discrimination to otherqualified
Nigerians home and abroad. Thus, section 65 2(b) should be amended to
read as follow:
[S/he is a sponsored member of a political party or an individual
running for partisan office through a petition to the Independent
National Electoral Commission as an Independent candidate without any
affiliation to any registered political parties]
Any other areas (including section D on Political Parties below) in
the constitution and in the Independent National Electoral Gazette
that link directly with section 65(2b) must be amended to reflect the
inclusion of Independent Candidates and procedures to petition as an
Independent Candidate
D - Political Parties
221. No association, other than a political party, [and Independent
Candidate] shall canvass for votes for any candidate at any election
or contribute to the funds of any political party or to the election
expenses of any candidate at an election.
222. No association by whatever namecalled shall function as a party, unless -
(a) the names and addresses of its national officers are registered
with the Independent National Electoral Commission; (With the
exception of an Independent Candidate who will file petition with
INEC)(b) the membership of the association is open to every citizen of
Nigeria irrespective of his place of origin, circumstance of birth,
sex, religion or ethnic grouping; (and their residential status)
(c) a copy of its constitution is registered in the principal office
of the Independent National Electoral Commission in such form as may
be prescribed by the Independent National Electoral Commission; (The
Independent Candidate will meet other strict guidelines as stipulated
by the Independent National ElectoralCommission)
(d) any alteration in its registered constitution is also registered
in the principal office of the Independent National Electoral
Commission within thirty days of the making of such alteration
(e) the name of the association, its symbol or logo does not contain
any ethnic or religious connotation or give the appearance that the
activities of the association are confined to a part only of the
geographical area of Nigeria; and
(f) the headquarters of the association is situated in the Federal
Capital Territory, Abuja. (Only for the independent candidate who
wishes to run for Presidential office)
In conclusion, Nigeria is a big promising country. We all must focus
on what will move our country forward and move away from "this will
not work in Nigeria". The type of government that we are using is
copied from the United States, they have passed through many of the
stages we are currently passing through in Nigeria; and that is why it
is difficult to compare the level of democratic practice in Nigeria
with that of the United States or the UnitedKingdom.
As a collective effort, we must not block or kill in the National
Assembly, a bill that will improve democracy just simply because of
our selfish interest. We must provide equality forall Nigeria and shun
away from nepotism, and candidate fixing and work tirelessly like our
Nationalist leader to make Nigeria a great country. If you are a
legislator, reading this piece or in the corridor ofpower, do not
manipulate the truth orget offended because what I just readis an eye
opener and a step to a new Nigeria of our dream. God Bless Nigeria.
Dr. 'Wole Adesina writes from Central Virginia, United States of America