Nigerian Senate voting against democracy!
Senate
Tue Jul 27 2021
Many political analysts are of the opinion that the biggest threat to democracy in Nigeria is not its peaceful protestors, insurgents, bandits or even separatists, but rather its legislators.
Having allocated themselves a disproportionate share of the nation’s budget, they “live large”, habitually fail to meet the stipulated number of sitting days, fail in oversight functions, fail to constrain executive unconstitutionalities, and always place their personal interests above those of their constituents.
The Senate recently voted in favour of a new Electoral Bill which goes totally against the grain of democracy. Quite appallingly, they seek to undermine the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and place obstacles in the path of free and fair elections. The new bill establishes two additional electoral umpires, the National Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Assembly (NASS) itself. Reprehensibly, political office holders are granted powers to determine whether the results of an election, which they might have lost, should be released or withheld! Even worse, the notoriously rubber-stamp Senate which exhibits little independence, let alone impartiality,, is granted authority to undermine future elections simply by not convening to certify results.