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Sponsors of the
controversial bill that canvassed for inclusion of lawmakers as members
of the executive councils of political party have said the move was to
save the parties from “dictatorial and tyrannical” management.

The lead sponsors
of the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill, Igo Aguma and Cyril Maduabum in
separate interviews in Abuja on Sunday explained why “the vexed clause
87 which sought to include federal lawmakers as members of the NEC of
their respective parties was inserted in the draft legislation”.

The lawmakers
argued that the draft legislation was not intended to serve their
personal interest but to attain a level-playing field for all political
actors.

Mr. Aguma (PDP –
Rivers) recalled that during the Second Republic, members of parliament
were also members of the NEC of their respective political parties.

He said the
arrangement enabled federal lawmakers articulate their party policies
and manifestoes in a near fanatical manner because they were involved
at the formulation stage.

Not presidential ploy

The lawmaker, who
equally advocated for the adoption of Option A4 voting formula, where
the electorate would queue directly behind the candidate of their
choice in any election, decried lack of internal democracy in the
parties.

Mr. Aguma said that in spite of its constitutional provisions, parties had shunned direct primaries in election of candidates.

He, however,
distanced President Goodluck Jonathan from the Bill, saying that the
relationship between the President and the National Assembly had been
frosty lately as reflected in the rejection of two executive bills on
the World Bank loan request and the Electoral Act amendment.

He also denied the
inclusion of what has been termed “right of first refusal” in the
amendment, saying it was the height of mischief for certain individuals
to label a noble legislation in a bad light just because their hold on
the parties would be adversely affected.

Already existing

He also said some
of the parties like ANPP already had such provision in its
constitution, wondering why ACN, which had about 40 representatives in
both chambers of the National Assembly should convince Nigerians how
the number could make its NEC “unwieldy”.

The legislator
however said only dictators had something to fear about the draft
legislation, assuring Nigerians on the genuine intentions of proponents
of the amendment.

In a statement
entitled: “The Reasons for seeking to amend the Electoral Act 2010′,
Mr. Maduabum, (PDP-Anambra) also decried the lack of internal democracy
in the parties which he said have been hijacked largely by some state
executives and political god-fathers.

He said that the
amendment would provide a level playing field for all aspirants to
elective offices and that a situation where a few individuals hijacked
political parties and dictated to the rest of the country `who gets
what and how’ was no longer acceptable to majority of the
progressive-minded members of the National Assembly.

“The dictatorial,
tyrannical, capricious, whimsical and discretionary manner in which
some political parties are run in the country today is cause for worry.

“There is absolute
lack of internal democracy in many political parties. A few people have
hijacked the political parties, they dictate to the rest of the country
who gets what and how. There is no form of democracy or representation
of the interests of the people,” he said. NAN