Election sequence re-order bill from hell – Muslim group blasts NASS

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has reacted to the National
Assembly's re-ordering of election sequence.

In the new bill, the lawmakers want the exercise to start with
elections into the National Assembly.

In a statement on Tuesday, MURIC director, Professor Ishaq Akintola
stated that the bill is belated, parochial, myopic, self-seeking,
extravagant and unpatriotic.

It also noted that it is an attempt to usurp functions of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and intimidate the
electoral body.

"Reordering is a threat to democracy. It is a bill from hell. Mr.
President should withhold his signature.

"By seeking to kick-start the elections with that of the NASS,
Nigeria's lawmakers have demonstrated their intention to call
attention to themselves.

"They are therefore more interested in benefiting themselves instead
of benefiting the country.

"At a time the country is reeling under a harsh economic situation, a
proposal which extends the election from two-phases to three phases
and adds an extra cost amounting to a whopping two billion naira is
nothing short of a manifestation of a prodigal son mentality.

"Nigerians should think about what this extra N2 billion can do for the country.

"The Federal Government recently confirmed that it pumped N2 billion
into the second Niger Bridge. It has been observed that Nigerians
spend three out of every ten years in traffic.

"Now, instead of wasting more money on changing the election sequence,
why can't we spend that N2 billion on building at least one pedestrian
bridge in every Nigerian state capital? It will bring huge relief to
road users and extend the life span of the average Nigerian.

"INEC released the election timetable on 9th January. Coming long
after INEC had released the election time table, the proposed change
in election sequence is bound to throw up logistic complications for
INEC.

"Logistics is central to elections. Planning must be done with
microscopic accuracy. Every little detail matters.

"Again, INEC should have been consulted before proposing the bill but
our lawmakers failed to do that.

"The proposal should have come twelve months earlier, long before INEC
released its own timetable. Why did the NASS wait for so long? Is
there a hidden agenda?

"Who do we blame if more hitches surface during elections? Can we hang
it on the same INEC which has rejected proposed change?

"Already, INEC has warned that a poorly planned election is an
invitation to chaos. Nigeria will become the laughing stock of the
whole world if that should happen.

"This bill must therefore be seen as the handiwork of confusionists
and anarchists.

"It must also be noted that the proposed reordering of election
sequence violates the letter and spirit of the Electoral Act which
gives INEC the sole power to organize elections and fix dates."