From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Amnesty International has raised the alarm over the high level of corruption and insecurity rocking Nigeria’s Democratic Process describing the development as a serious threat to the system.
Comrade Sunday Jatto, Kogi State Director of the Amnesty International, maintained that failure in conduct of free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria has spelled doom in the nation’s political sector and judicial cycle.
Jatto at a press conference he held in Lokoja on Friday, suggested that internal democracy should begin to be applied in nominating or selecting those who run Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) or Judiciary, and the process should involve human rights organisations and the Nigeria Bar Association.
Jatto while assessing the performance of democracy in Nigeria and the way forward, 2015-2025, expressed the urgent need for federal government to tackle the problem of corruption and insecurity in the process.
“Since litigation can be negatively influenced by the executive arm of government, with control over appointments and funds. We suggest or advocate that internal democracy should begin to be applied in nominating or selecting those who hold INEC or Judiciary in Nigeria, and the process should involve human rights organisations and the Nigerian Bar Association.
“Democracy in Nigeria has room for improvement, and the electoral umpire needs more expertise in ICT Information in the area of automation systems for the proper conduct of elections to actualize growth, peace, and development in Nigeria.
“We charge INEC to intensify efforts and exploits in the areas of modern automation means in the conduct of elections in Nigeria, where the power of technology will eradicate vote buying, thuggery, multiple voting, and excess spending in elections, and INEC’s ability to conduct elections that will take the nation to its citadel of democracy.
“The political parties can be digitalised where every political party’s emblem has a specific code to click upon by voters from their phones and send online for automatic processing, and immediately the voters are made to see their votes count, and every citizen can know who is leading when the election is in progress, and who won after the election will be known immediately.
Jatto urged the executive arm of government to see democracy as government of the people by the people and for the people, and not to see democracy as personal belongings; the modules of democratic government do not run on dictatorship.
“We advocate that women should be allowed to hold many leadership positions in offices. Gender equality in Nigeria has not fully taken its full course in Nigerian democracy. Any nation which do not consider women in the scheme of things, either politically or economically, hardly progresses.“
