Aspirants seek end to electoral flaws

TWO senatorial aspirants in Kwara State have criticised the electoral laws that allow some politicians to obtain forms and contest more than one position in the same election.

Speaking in separate interviews with The Guardian in Ilorin, Yahaya Oloriegbe (Kwara Central) and Suleiman Ajadi (Kwara South), said the electoral misnomer should be corrected to save the national polity from what they described as ‘double standard politicians.’

Oloriegbe and Ajadi are seeking tickets of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in their respective districts.
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Oloriegbe said: “It is not a healthy for our politics if for instance, a candidate knowing his potential and limitations as a senatorial candidate, but also gunning for the governorship position and the Senate at the same time.

“If the same person fails at the governorship level you then see him again contesting at the senatorial level. I don’t think this exits in American democracy or in any advanced democracy anywhere in the world. Our electoral law must be amended to end this anomaly.”

Oloriegbe, a former member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, lamented the alleged dwindled socio-cultural developments in Kwara, blaming it on the leadership that have over the years failed to make people’s needs a priority.

Speaking, Ajadi, a fourth Republic senator before losing his seat in the second attempt to Simeon Ajibola, cautioned against using the National Assembly as an alternative for some greedy and selfish politicians who are in the presidential race and also eyeing senatorial tickets.

“Elections should not be seen as School Certificate Examinations where you have different bodies conducting separate examinations for the same candidates.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is one body and, therefore, it should rise to the occasion and disqualify such people.

“Some of our colleagues have obtained nomination forms for the senate by proxy, using some of their puppets who will later step down for them if they fail at the higher level. This political desperation must be stopped by the appropriate authorities to save our democracy,” he stated.

Ajadi, while commending the increasing political education and awareness among voters in the state, urged the electorate to vote out those who took the state backward in virtually all facets of life.

“We need a true change from the grip of these political chameleons. Enough should be enough,” he added.