Ahead of July 24, 2023, judgement by the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal on Kano Central Senatorial District, a group, known as African Parliamentary Advocates and Reform Group said, it would continue to monitor proceedings, saying that, expectations of Nigerians are high.
APARGIN which is a parliamentary interest group said, they are working in collaboration with the Coalition of Parliamentary Advocates and Democracy Consolidation Nigeria, CoPADeCON and other groups to mobilise media’s attention to the development at the Election Petitions Tribunal.
Speaking at a World Press Conference in Abuja on Thursday, the Convener of APARGIN, Comrade Chibuzo Okereke revealed that the Independent National Electoral Commission’s verdict in the parliamentary election has caused 50% out of the 469 seats to be contended at tribunals.
The groups decried the inadequate media coverage of NAEPT proceedings, describing the development as unhealthy to the growth of democracy.
They urged major media organisations and other news outlets to be interested in the coverage of parliamentary election petition tribunal proceedings to keep Nigerians abreast of the happenings.
“The democracy attraction and the unique virtues of democratic design are the opportunities for active participation of citizens in the public leadership recruitment process, the entrenched premium on the rule of law piloted by the judiciary and the Media, and Citizens’ oversight of governance institutions to ensure justice, accountability, and transparency in public affairs.
“The legislature which is the fulcrum of democracy is the closest arm of government to the people; the only arm that offers the largest direct representation of citizens, naturally structured to guarantee citizens’ participation in decision-making processes in all realms of lawmaking, oversight, representation, and constituency services, thereby ensuring participatory and deliberative democracy.
“Accordingly, priority interest and active participation of citizens and constituents in the ongoing judicial proceedings at the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunals is crucial to Nigeria’s democratic development and consolidation.
“In spite of the fundamental role the National and sub-national legislatures play in a democratic system as practiced in Nigeria, the interest of Nigerians in this all-important arm of government leaves much to be desired.
“Recall that during the elections, we had addressed a conference highlighting what may be tagged untended discrimination in the coverage of the electoral campaigns for the legislative candidates whose campaigns trails and legislative agenda were not given commensurate media coverage as accorded to their counterparts in the Executive Arm of Government.
“Though this could be blamed on the untold casualties suffered by the legislature in the military era, one would think that, after 20 years of uninterrupted democracy, all stakeholders should have embraced the full throttle of the legislature and explored its potency for responsive governance and national development.
“Over these years, the legislature is still challenged by a high legislative turnover rate both in terms of the rate of return to the National Assembly and in the rate of serving legislators who are devoted to core legislative functions and institutional building.
“Others are the lingering problems of low perception of the legislature by citizens, issues surrounding the general recruitment process, and low media coverage of some legislative matters.
“The fourth estate of the realm which is the media saddled with the responsibility of setting the agenda, enlightening the public, and obligation of accountability of the government to the people has unfortunately not shown the required interest in the coverage of the proceedings of the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunals.
“We are deeply worried that the paucity of publicity of the major media coverage of the Legislative Election Petition Tribunals and by extension the oversight of the Judiciary may have serious implications if not urgently addressed.
“As we have pointed out, today, the media is heavily a washed with the trends and the developments in the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal and discussions and engagements among citizens on its proceedings while the Legislatures Tribunal Matters are barely even reported especially the petitions that are now being concluded and awaiting judgments.
“Prominent among the cases in this category is the Kano Central Senatorial district petition, among others which is now set for judgment by July 24th, 2023. Kano Central is about the largest Senatorial District in Nigeria and the only Senatorial District in the 2023 General Election where the person returned as the winner by INEC relinquished the victory after the declaration on the grounds that he had resigned his Membership of the Party that Sponsored him as the candidate before the election, at the time also, the window for candidates replacement/substitution has elapsed in accordance with the relevant extant provisions of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act, 2022 and the INEC 2023 General Elections Guidelines.
“But following INEC concerns, challenging of the matter in court, and eventual Supreme Court Ruling, a certificate of return was issued to another Member of the Party.
“The Kano Central Election Petition is a litmus test to the Judiciary in terms of procedure and the extant provisions of Nigeria’s electoral governance laws and framework. Our Eyes Are on the Kano Central Judgement being expected.
“These and more are what have made the Kano Central Senatorial District Tribunal Case unique and intriguing as it presents an observable lacuna in the much-celebrated 2022 Electoral law.
“But more importantly, it is a litmus test for the judiciary and judges saddled with that responsibility in line with the prescriptions and predictions of section 285 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act, Electoral Guidelines, and the point of law.
“We believe this should agitate the minds of all promoters and defenders of democracy that is based on the rule of law.
“For us at the CoPADeCoN, at a time when the notion, ideals, and practices of democracy have come under great stress in the past decade. We believe that the legislature, judiciary, media, and active citizens have the utmost responsibility to continue to demonstrate resilience in ways and means that promote transparency, accountability, an equitable and responsible show of duty of care by all State and non-state actors in solidarity with the prevailing ideals of democracy.
“Democracy is about the process which confers legitimacy based on constitutionalism.
“We use this opportunity therefore, to call on all watchdog institutions of governments, particularly the Media to retool the approach to Election Petition Reportage in Nigeria and ensure commensurate attention to the Legislative Election Petition Proceedings.”
