Don’t conduct presidential polls before others, INEC advised

From BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Posted: Monday, September 6, 2010

A governorship aspirant of the  Action Congress of Nigeria [ACN] in Oyo State, Dr. Ismael Adebayo Adewusi yesterday cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission, [INEC] to forget about conducting Presidential election before all other elections in 2011. The ACN governorship aspirant stated this while participating in a radio programme in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
He declared that any attempt by INEC to conduct the coming Presidential election before the others would amount to electoral fraud laden with deceit’. He said there was no basis for INEC to conduct the Presidential election before the others,adding that there was never a time a timetable was implemented in the nation’s democracy.
“The idea by the PDP-led government to conduct the Presidential election first in the next year’s polls is contrary to the usual practice of the past administrations. It had always been done right from the local government level, the Assemblies, state level, up to the national level. Why the INEC wants to reverse the trend now is surprising. To me, the idea is laden with deceit,’’he added.
According to the ACN governorship aspirant who was a former Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning in Lagos state the idea introduced by the INEC was part of the  deceitful plan by the ruling PDP to manipulate all other elections that would follow the presidential one ,in case it wins.
Dr Adewusi emphasized that the time has come for lovers of democracy across the country to kick against the idea of conducting Presidential election before the other elections in 2011.
“The PDP leaders want to conduct the presidential election first, so that they could manipulate all other elections that would follow. Such, to me is not democratic, not fair and not justifiable. The presidential election should come last as had always been the practice since the beginning of our democratic experience,’’Dr Adewusi noted.
He however pointed out that in the overall interest of the nation’s growing democracy,INEC should not hesitate to reverse its planned timetable for the 2011 general elections
“I hereby call on the INEC to reverse the decision, just as the masses should kick against it. It was not conceived in the best interest of all, neither was it planned in the interest of the country, which we all belong to”, the ACN aspirant added.
On the reported plan by the  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to ban any politician accused of corruption from contesting the 2011 elections,Dr Adewusi advised EFCC to follow the due process of law before taking such an action in the interest of the nation.
“Whoever has not been pronounced guilty by any court of law should not be banned from contesting. Doing so will be infringing on the rights of such an individual. However, if any politician has been duly put to trial and found guilty, he can be banned. But the law presumes any person innocent until proven guilty, and that is what I support”,Dr Adewusi said.
He emphasized that it will  be unconstitutional for the EFCC “to throw a blanket ban on any suspect or accused person who has not been found guilty of any offence he is alleged of, not to be allowed to contest election. “I suspect this idea is targeted at the opposition candidates and those governors, who may be averse to the candidature of the PDP Presidential choice”,the ACN Chieftain said.