To be able to objectively actualise its core mandate and serve as an independent and unbiased electoral Commission, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the February 25 presidential election, Barr Adewole Adebayo, has counselled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the urgent need to discontinue receiving subventions from foreign agencies to be truly independent.
Adebayo while speaking with Nigerian Tribune identified the receipt of funds from foreign agencies such as the European Union (EU) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by INEC as one of the factors hindering the conduct of free, free and credible elections in the country, stressing that its allows for undue interference in the country’s electoral processes.
He stated that such grants undermine the integrity of the electoral Commission and the electoral process, noting that both government institutions and Civil Societies Organisations receive the funds, which he termed as a “Father’s Christmas gift.”
He however queried INEC’s receipt of such subvention when INEC has collected the sum of N305b from Nigerians through the Federal Government.
He said, “Nigeria is a collection of foreign agents and that is why the international community will come to supervise our elections. When I addressed a gathering at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, (NIIA), I wanted to know why INEC, after collecting N305b from Nigerians through the FG, would still collect money from such foreign bodies as the European Union (EU) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) among others.
Almost 90 per cent of the Civil Societies we interacted with collected foreign funds, including the Peace Committee of Bishop Matthew Kukah and retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar. Many political parties too, including the ones calling for revolution and change, collected grants from foreign agents. This is not good for our electoral process.”
Assessing INEC’s conduct of the 2023 general elections, Barr Adebayo said INEC is a tool in the hands of politicians which they used for political succession.
He argued that in a situation whereby it is only the president that has the power to appoint the INEC chairman subject to the confirmation of the Senate, such an arrangement cannot conduct free, fair and credible elections and produce credible leaders.
He therefore urged Nigerians to support an alliance of young political structures to wrestle power from the old brigades that have dominated the political landscape of the country since 1999.
He stated that such an alliance with the support of the masses would ensure that the old political parties and their candidates are consigned to the dustbin of history for good.
The presidential candidate stated, “We must be interested in the electoral process all the time. As it is right now, it is Bola Ahmed Tinubu that will choose the next INEC chairman. I can guarantee that the person that would be appointed will make you conclude that the current INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu is an angel.
They might decide to appoint a full-time ex-convict. By our law, if Tinubu goes to Kuje prison to bring someone, and the Senate says the person is good, then the person automatically becomes the INEC chairman.”
He continued, “Those accusing INEC of being compromised should keep their cool as the electoral body is not different from every sphere of Nigerian life that is deep-neck in cheating.
“We have the tendency to cheat. What we are accusing the INEC of doing is the same thing you find with people writing the Unified Tertiary Institutions admission examinations conducted by the Joint Admission and Matriculation (JAMB), the examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), and professional examinations as well as what we do when recruiting people into service.
It’s everywhere; that culture of people not wanting to do what is right. We only complain about cheating that doesn’t favour us. We must be interested in the process all the time.”
He stressed that a new Nigeria would only be possible if Nigerians could rise to support a coalition or an alliance of young political structures to wrestle power from the old brigades that have dominated the political landscape for a long time.
He lamented that the majority of the new political parties and their candidates were, during the campaign and subsequently the election, lone rangers, a development he said reduced the collective strength of the young and new entrants.
Commenting on the spate of insecurity as it discouraged influx of foreign investors into the country, Adebayo reacted thus, “Foreign investors will come to Nigeria, irrespective of the insecurity, depending on what they are coming to get because Nigerians are easy to cheat.
Some of the oil companies will come because our environmental standards are low, so they make a lot of profit. It is not all your admirers that genuinely come to your house to see you. Some came to admire your stupidity. Investors are not coming to do you a favour; they came to take advantage of you.”
Speaking on ethnic and tribal sentiment, he said, “This is not a problem in Nigeria. It is an instrument the elites use to deceive Nigerians to achieve their selfish ends.
The ordinary people do not think about that but the elite think differently. Give the same elite the opportunity to serve their own people, they will rob them blind and harass them. They will finish the people up, but when they go to the centre, they will be talking about religion and tribe.
If you go to Borno State, the contractors there are from Anambra and Abia States. If you go to Rivers State, Gov. Nyesome Wike is giving Rivers money in dollars to the traditional rulers in the North. He sponsored people for Hajj. You heard Dino Melaye saying that the last time he contested for election; it was Wike’s money and jet that he used. Are they from the same ethnicity?
When these politicians, businessmen and civil servants come back from an unhappy outcome, they will say Nigeria doesn’t love them. I don’t know of any country where citizens love one another like Nigeria. Nigerians love one another in the dark corners of the night.
Somebody from Borno State for the first time in his life goes to Mbaise in Imo State and they give him their first daughter. If you are my enemy, why would I give you my first daughter?
My family is from the United Nations of Nigeria. If you want to know that Nigerians love one another, go to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), you will discover Alhaji Danjuma, Mazi Okonkwo and Otunba Adedipe, are all doing business together.
Check when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is charging criminals to court for say N52b fraud, you will see Mazi, Otunba and Mallam there. We are not just united in doing good things. We are not united to launch satellites into space but we are united in rigging the elections.”
Allaying fears that Nigeria might be heading for a military coup, the prince of Osemawe Kingdom said that would not happen because according to him, the military don’t plan coup except the political class ask them to do so.
“The soldiers are not interested in power. They are just like any other tool used by politicians. If the political class wants to plan a coup, they can use them to do it. But, from what I can see and the feelers I am getting, the political class is happy about what happened in the last election because the power still went back to them. It didn’t go to Sowore; it didn’t come to me, so they are happy,” he said.
