Ezekwesili Criticises Nigeria’s Democratic Process

  • Ezekwesili calls on Nigerians to contribute to the democratic process.
  • INEC says it lacked the power to punish electoral offenders.

The co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls Movement (BBOG), Oby Ezekwesili, has said that Nigeria’s democratic process is blemished.

The former Education minister stated this during her keynote speech at a lecture to mark the 85th birthday of Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka organized by his Centre for Investigative Journalism, said the process has failed to deliver its desired outcome of the masses.

“Our current democracy is blemished because of its inability to deliver the desired outcome for citizens,” she said on Saturday.

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She, therefore, called on Nigerians to rise and contribute to the democratic process.

“We must all rise to demand a complete rethink of the kind of democratic processes th at lead to poor governance.”

Also speaking, the Director, Voter Education and Publicity of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, who noted that people blaming the commission for not sanctioning electoral offenders said INEC has no power to sanction or disqualify perpetrators of electoral violence.

READ: 2019 Elections: NDI/IRI Submit report to INEC

“Some people blame INEC as an electoral management body that why can’t people be sanctioned? People guilty of violence or sponsoring electoral malpractices, why can’t INEC sanction them and disqualify them? I’m sorry, INEC has no such powers.”

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