Mulling of NILGEC, height of political rascality, push for unitary state — Afenifere

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organization Afenifere has expressed its disapproval of the proposed move by the federal government to establish the National Independent Local Government Electoral Commission (NILGEC) to conduct local council elections in the country.

While describing the proposal as a ploy designed to further push the country into a unitary state, the mainstream Yoruba group stressed that it will stifle democracy.

Afenifere stressed this in a communiqué issued after its monthly meeting held at the residence of Chief Ayo Adebanjo in Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State, stating that NILGEC will suffer the same fate as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which it said is not independent of the Federal Government.

The frontline Yoruba group, during the meeting presided over by its deputy leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, and attended by delegates from the member states, berated INEC over the outcome of the recent governorship election in Edo State and joined its voice with that of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) that alleged the process was compromised and marred with irregularities.

The communiqué read, “Afenifere notes the introduction of a bill to establish a National Independent Local Government Electoral Commission (NILGEC) for the conduct of local government elections and considers the idea as nothing but a monumental multiplication of INEC’s inefficiencies at 774 degrees.

“The idea of a federal agency to conduct local government elections is a veritable weapon in furtherance of the undisguised policy of complete capture and absolute unitarization of the Nigerian Federation by the Central Government, a policy that has attained its crescendo under the present administration.

“Afenifere decries all forms of political rascality aimed at stifling democracy by the two tiers of the Nigerian government structure and equally condemns, in unmistakable terms, political gerrymandering to push Nigeria into a unitary state by wielders of transient political power contrary to the existential covenant of federalism.

“The Federal Government and its INEC have proven no better at conducting the limited elections with which they are saddled by the Constitution. From all indications, INEC has proven not independent of the Federal Government, and the unfortunate situation gets progressively worse.

“Afenifere resolved to, in due course and soon, mobilize and join democratic forces with all lovers of Nigeria against all tenets, tendencies, pretenses, policies, and practices of unitarism in the Nigerian body politic.

“Afenifere observed with more than keen interest the processes leading to the Edo State governorship election, hoping against hope that INEC would turn a new leaf from its shoddy handling of the 2023 general elections, but most unfortunately, the Commission rather gained speed in its progressive descent into the abyss of electoral malpractices that actively compromise the rights of the people to choose their leaders in their overriding interests.

“Afenifere endorsed the damning verdicts of civil society organizations and credible election monitors on the integrity of the processes and conduct of the election, revealing sharp practices including vote-buying, deliberate compromise of technological innovations, abrupt and unilateral suspension of collation, resultant manipulation, and brazen alterations of results.

“Afenifere is not interested in the political party or personality declared the winner but in the credibility and integrity of the processes, and we dare say that in this instance, the means, with its sour memories, leaves the legitimacy of the end with question marks.

“The growing idea of top-level officials, including governors and heads of the federal legislature, abandoning their states and duties also generates tension with unnecessary pressure on the process in the off-season election.

“Besides, and notwithstanding partisan pressures, certain offices in the federation demand that the holder thereof play the role of a father figure in words and actions for necessary public confidence.”

Afenifere further expressed confusion over the continued high prices of fuel in the country, questioning the efficacy of local production in providing relief to consumers, particularly in light of the Dangote refinery commencing local production.

The group equally reiterated its longstanding call for the establishment of state police as a means to tackle internal security challenges, arguing that the current federal police structure is inadequate in addressing local security concerns.

“It is no gainsaying that the dominion of our land by terrorists is responsible for the skyrocketing inflation of prices of food items as farmers are displaced without hope of returning to their farms.

“The operation of the Dangote refinery is a welcome development, but Afenifere believes that the removal of collateral expenses should make the price of products from the refinery of crude procured locally far cheaper and more affordable than it presently is.

“Nigerians have not been informed of the beneficial effects of the monopoly of distribution of Dangote products by the NNPCL. Rather, the success of the Dangote initiative should encourage the NNPC to do something about its own moribund refineries and for the Federal Government to liberalize local production by encouraging small-scale and modular refineries with quality control supervision.

“Afenifere reiterates that the Nigerian security architecture of a single police command is antithetical to the ideal, reality, and practice of federalism, particularly in the case of Nigeria with its large population and vast territory.

“This unfortunate situation has continued to deepen the deplorable state of internal security, engendering an abysmal incapacity of the Nigerian Police and putting pressure on the armed forces to the extent that the Chief of Defence Staff had to ensure the deployment of members of the armed forces on routine police and civil assignments, including coverage of peaceful protests and election duties.

“Centralizing the enforcement and control of both federal and state laws robs the nation of the efficiency and efficacy of the division of responsibilities. It cannot be overemphasized that the basic way forward out of this intractable internal insecurity is the introduction of state police.”