Pilot Law

Election: Difficult to curb violence with Nigeria system

 

Barrister Muftau Olobi is a Human Rights activist based in Kwara State. In this interview with our JUDICIARY CORRESPONDENT, KAYODE ADEOTI, he bears his mind on the electoral exercise that was conducted in the country recently. Excerpts: 
People have been calling for a review of the constitution on the issue of educational qualification an individual should have before vying for political seats, how do you see that? 
As far as I’m concerned, the constitution for now is very clear and until a change or an amendment is made in the constitution, the minimum for now is still the school leaving certificate and nothing more. Morally, the qualification might not be enough but we have to follow what the constitution says. In some countries, they don’t ask for paper qualifications before vying for political seat, what is needed is just an experience. Once an aspirant has held certain managerial positions, that is enough in some parts of the world. Considering the issue surrounding the certificate of the President, at a time, he said he had certificate, at another occasion, he said he doesn’t have. Buhari said at a time that his certificate is with the military authority, the force denied it. We were told that time too that it was Cambridge exam he wrote. But from no where, the certificate emerged and confirmation of exam was issued by WAEC, once the examination body has cleared the air over the issue, there is little or nothing anyone could do about it again.
Do you think the law should be amended to include screening of political office aspirant’s certificate before election? 
It is very neccessary, so that the issue of court cases after one had gone through election and won will not be arising. Everything would have been settled and cleared before the poll. It is wrong to be clamouring that the elected person doesn’t have the NYSC discharged certificate, O’level results and the likes. If there had been proper screening, it will save this country lots of mess we’re getting ourselves into.
Many Nigerians have faulted the elections conducted in the country recently for been marred with violence, frauds and the likes, how do you think this issue can be managed in subsequent polls? 
The fact remains that with our system, there is no how violence can be curbed for now. This is because, we still see election as do or die affairs. Onetime President once said, the election is a do or die affairs and they’re ready to kill. For now, there is now way we can conduct elections without some pockets of violence. In the last elections, I witnessed it, people were brutalised, killed.
(Cuts in) Can our law do anything to help the situation? 
Yes, if the perpetrators are brought to book, it will check others from doing anything violent during election. If some people are arrested, prosecuted and jailed, it will send messages that will creates some fears in the minds of those who may plan to indulge in such act.

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