Human rights activist and former Chairman of Nigeria’s
National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu has described the
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as the most corrupt federal
government agency in Nigeria.
Prof. Odinkalu, who is recently the senior team manager for
the Africa Program of Open Society Justice Initiative, claimed that everybody
in INEC, from the Chairman to the cleaners, is corrupt.
Speaking in Abuja on Friday at the Colloquium organised by
Fundacion Exito with the theme, Nigeria in 2023: What does Nigeria need now?
The Professor noted that Nigeria’s electoral umpire is more corrupt than the
Nigeria Police.
He said that for Nigeria to get it right, the electoral
umpire and the judiciary must attend a certain height to perfection as the
country goes into the presidential election next weekend.
“Everybody in INEC from the Chairman to the cleaners are
corrupt,” he said.
“INEC is more corrupt than the police. The difference is
that their corruption is seasonal. It is programmed. It happens every four
years when they collect big money.”
Also addressing journalists one of the Directors of the
civil society organisation, Dominic Obuzuwa said Nigerians must elect a leader
whose focus should be on global competitiveness as a strategy for development.
According to him, “The citizens are not focusing on the
right issues. It’s not about the North and South. Our competition as a nation
is not about North and South, it’s not about Christian or Muslim.
“It’s not about political parties. It’s about the fact that
we need to be globally competitive. As a country, can Nigeria stand toe to toe
with Malaysia in terms of economic development? Can Nigeria stand toe to toe
with the United Arab Emirates in terms of economic development?
“Now these are countries that have benefited from Nigeria at
one point or the other. But we find that over the years the political class has
created a narrative that has turned one citizen against another so that they
can perpetuate themselves into office.
“This creates several issues, the fuel scarcity, for
instance, is man-made. The scarcity of the Naira presently is man-made. The
problems that bedevil the country are man-made.
“When Nigerians go to the polls, they must not vote because
they’re from the South or North, because they’re APC or PDP, Christian or
Muslim but because they’re Nigerians who want a better country in four years’
time.
“They must look at the character, competency and credibility
of candidates. There are issues of inclusion and development and not about the
state of origin, religion, region, tribe etc. It’s about the next four years.”
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