Interpol Consultant Sir Chikwe Udensi has faulted the activities of some political parties in keeping with the electoral guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission as campaign towards 2023 general elections in Nigeria kicked off on Wednesday.
Udensi maintained that the Electoral Commission does not have a very strong enforcement laws as these made it possible for political parties and their candidates to violate the laws with some level of ignominy.
While responding to questions about keeping to the rules of the 2023 election campaign by INEC, Udensi said that political parties in their activities have not obeyed the INEC guidelines for the official take off campaigns.
He added that the political parties have violated the electoral acts through their posters, billboards and Campaign activities around communities festival and as well as the Churches.
The security expert also blamed INEC for not doing their job by putting mechanism to check defaulters and in turn come up with sanctions since they failed to follow the time table for the campaign .
He believed that the society are supposed to obey the laws, adding that the guidelines were ignored due to lack of sanctions by INEC.
“If there are better sanctions,the laws will be obeyed.”
In his words it is unethical things that have happened so far ought not to have happened when campaign has not started, political parties were busy carrying out their campaigns.
Udensi also stated that the full rigour of the law have not been followed by the political parties, while expressing concern on the level of lawlessness witnessed as a result of desperation .
He further stressed the need for candidates to follow the ethical procedures for the electoral acts,by ensuring issue based campaign, avoid derogatory words or foul languages and thuggery in the course of the campaigns which were being experienced in the past electioneering years.
The security expert enumerated some factors which has violated the electoral process, citing examples of unethical influences of government in the elections through an illegal means, situation he said enable them to use government resources,assets and vehicles to fund the campaigns of their prefered candidates.
“We realize there was a sizable influence of government,Every government today have their prefered candidates and have used public assets and funds to supports these candidates.”
” Most of the Candidates have commenced the use of public vehicles and properties that have been identified as government properties have been used in violation of the constitution to run the campaigns .”
He added that the law recommends stiff penalties for violators of the electoral process but frowns at the inability of Inec expedite action.
Udensi lauded the Afinifere leader ,Ayo Adebanjo who declared support for Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi , saying that his endorsement and that of other top stakeholders from other political parties is a clear indication that Obi’s track records as Anambra governor speaks volume because he was determined to do what is right .
He said Obi performed optimally through the payment of pensioners, salaries , infrastructure and other basic developmental strides.
He believes Obi whose track records speaks volume yesterday can do better tomorrow.
“The level of accolades that we have gotten for Peter Obi is based on track records,he said.”
He said that no governor have left the kind of huge amount of money like Peter Obi did ,instead debit.
