“The government needs to apologise to Nigerians for deceiving them. This administration sold an empty moral capital to the people! Today, it has shown itself morally bereft.”
A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has condemned the ongoing rush for the purchase of N100 million presidential forms by appointees of the APC-led federal government.
The coalition, at a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, described the trend as a mockery of Nigeria’s democracy and its citizens’ sensibilities which should not be left unpunished.
The CSOs called for the immediate dismissal of government appointees who bought forms to contest elections without resignation.
“The government needs to apologise to Nigerians for deceiving them. This administration sold an empty moral capital to the people! Today, it has shown itself morally bereft. Second, there is the need to immediately sack and commence an investigation of all ministers and political appointees that have bought forms to contest elections without resignation, which is in contradiction of the Electoral Act 2022 as amended.
“When the head of an institution that will be responsible for safeguarding sensitive electoral materials, monetary and fiscal health of the county insist on contesting elections to make him a candidate for the highest political position while in office is not only absurd but ethically reprehensible and insane,” the 32 CSOs said in a statement read to journalists by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) boss, Auwal Rafsanjani.
With May 10 and 11 as the revised deadline for the sale and submission of the APC forms respectively, not less than 25 aspirants have picked the controversial N100 million presidential forms in person or through proxy groups.
At least four of the aspirants serve as ministers under President Muhammadu Buhari leadership while the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has not officially joined the race.
The Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of Niger Delta, Goodwill Akpabio; Minister of Labour and Employment of Nigeria, Chris Ngige; Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba; have joined the presidential race on the platform of the APC.
Sparing none of the ministers, the CSOs emphasised the risk Mr Emefiele posed to the electoral process in the country if he indeed nursed a presidential ambition.
“When the head of an institution that will be responsible for safeguarding sensitive electoral materials, monetary and fiscal health of the county insist on contesting elections to make him a candidate for the highest political position while still in office is not only absurd but ethically reprehensible and insane.
“According to Section 9 of the CBN Act, 2007, the apex bank governor must not venture into any other vocation while in office and must resign in writing to the President if he nursed such intention,” the CSOs said.
As stipulated, the referenced section by the group cautioned the CBN Governor and deputies against engagement, which may be in conflict with their full-time duties.
Some of the other civil groups and organisations that signed the statement include Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD); Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA); Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD); Zero-Corruption Coalition (ZCC); Partners on Electoral Reform and African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL); National Procurement Watch Platform; Praxis Center, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civil Education (CHRICED) and Social Action.
Others are Community Action for Popular Participation, Borno Coalition for Democracy and Progress (BOCODEP), Global Rights, Alliance for Credible Elections (ACE), Femi Falana Chamber; Women In Nigeria; African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD) Women Advocate Research And Documentation Centre; Women In Media, among others.
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