Legal institute plans order, integrity in 2019 election
In search of how to attain order and integrity in the country’s 2019 general elections, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) has organised a lecture in Abuja.
The forum was the 39th Founders’ Day of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) in Abuja, with the theme: ‘Towards Elections with Integrity in 2019: Challenges and Prospects’.
In attendance were the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen; the former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and guest lecturer, Prof. Attahiru Jega; the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), who was represented; heads of parastatals under the Ministry of Justice, senior lawyers and fellows of the institute.
The Director General of NIALS, Prof Adekunle Adedeji (SAN) in his opening remarks, said the lecture was important as the country moves closer to the 2019 general elections. He said those charged with the conduct of an election with integrity could gain useful insights from the outcome of the lecture.
In his lecture, Prof Attahiru Jega warned that dispute over the bill to change the election sequence timetable could affect the conduct of the 2019 general elections.
He said the suit before a Federal High Court in Abuja, which was filed by Accord Party challenging the powers of the National Assembly to veto the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari refusing to assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill, could have been directed at the Supreme Court for interpretation.
He said the direction of the suit is uncertain as it is likely to go through appeal at the Court of Appeal before getting to the Supreme Court, and cause delays in the preparations for the 2019 general elections.
Jega said if the amendment to the electoral sequence is passed, it will hamper adequacy of funding, and timely release of appropriated funds as well as access to foreign exchange for offshore procurement of electoral materials for the election.
The Professor of Political Science at the Bayero University, Kano, listed other challenges facing the 2019 general elections due to lack of foreign exchange to include: ongoing efforts to print voter’s card for those who have registered in the Continuous Voter Register and upgrade and procurement of additional smart card readers.
He said the electoral process is still confronted by declining voter turnout, political parties’ management, electoral litigation and adjudication, vote buying, hate speech, election security, money politics, and the attitude and disposition of politicians.
“It is now recognised that electoral integrity is key; if it lacks integrity, it becomes a ritual; a formalistic process, which will not yield the substantial attribute of democratisation,” he said.
Professor Jega however identified the energy, resourcefulness and resilience of the Nigerian youth as one of the greatest prospects for the success in the 2019 general elections.
He said that INEC has become institutionally stronger now to conduct a credible election, with the various reforms that have been undertaken since 2010. He recommended the strengthening of the states’ electoral commissions to conduct local elections ahead of the general elections.
In his remark, the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Ali Ahmed, warned that politicians could capitalise on the lack of legal backing for the Card Reader through the ongoing amendment to the Electoral Act during the 2019 elections, adding that the debate has centred on the election sequence leaving the 34 other items in the Act.
In his brief remark, the CJN, Justice Onnoghen, commended NIALS for setting aside a day to mark its founders’ day and revisit the dreams of the founding fathers, as well as fulfill its statutory mandate, which is advancing the frontiers of knowledge of law and related subjects.
He also hailed the theme of the lecture as apt as well as the guest lecturer, Prof Jega, adding that “Election is a fundamental tenet of democracy.”
Speaking, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), who was represented by a senior assistant, Dr Sylvester Imanhobe, commended NIALS for its numerous contributions to capacity building for justice delivery actors.
The AGF said his administration has made several reforms towards better justice delivery, explaining that the coordination of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) Monitoring Committee; Federal Justice Sector Reform Coordination Committee; the office of the Special Assistant to the President on Justice Reform and the Prison Decongestion Unit, have made the implementation of the various criminal justice initiatives smooth.
He said the ministry has set up similar justice sector reform teams in 26 out of the 36 states of the federation, adding that efforts are on to ensure the adoption of the ACJA, Child Rights Act, Sentencing Guidelines, and the Code of Conduct for Prosecutors across the states of the federation.
Malami said he has visited several prisons alongside the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello, who is committed to prison decongestion. He said the ministry has set up probation and parole system for the Nigerian prisons, adding that the Federal Government has approved the establishment of a national criminal database.
In all, it was learnt that to achieve an election with integrity in 2019, the country must implement international best practices. Good legal framework and law enforcement is required.