ENFORCE ELECTION FINANCING LAW— EBONYI ANALYSTS URGES INEC
REPORTER: SIMON IDUMA
The 2022 Electoral Act provides among other things, expenditure ceiling for candidates vying for various elective positions in the country.
Analysis of the figures shows that the act increased the maximum amount some candidates are allowed to spend by over 400%.
Section 88 of the 2022 Electoral Act made provisions for election expenditure for various positions.
According to the section, presidential candidates are to spend a maximum of five billion naira as against one billion naira provided for by 2010 Electoral Act.
The expenditure ceiling for Governorship candidates is one billion naira; senatorial candidates, 100 million naira; House of Representatives 75 million while candidates for state house of Assembly are to spend a maximum of 30 million naira.
The section also pegged maximum amount an individual can donate to a candidate at 50 million naira.
Some stakeholders, who spoke with Radio Nigeria, called for stringent measures by various institutions to track election spending in line with the provisions of the act.
A Professor of Political Science, Eugene Nweke, described the expenditure ceiling as an ideal situation that could not be implemented.
He stressed that election management bodies and other relevant institutions of government lacked the capacity to track election financing by politicians.
Professor Nweke pointed out that election financing in the country was fraught with corrupt practices.
He expressed dissatisfaction with alleged inability of political parties to disclose their sources of funding and expenditure as required by law and maintained that “election in the country is expensive,” emphasising that “the provision of the Electoral Act is unrealistic.”
Professor Nweke, who is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academics in Ebonyi State University however, advocated aggressive sensitisation campaign by non-governmental organisations, including religious bodies, to educate the citizens to reject inducement by politicians so as to elect credible leaders.
A senior lecturer in Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike Ikwo, Dr. John Otu, said deepening the Nigeria’s democracy required extant laws that would guide the operation and conduct of key players but was quick to observe that implementation of these laws had been the major problem in the country.
Dr. Otu, a former Commissioner for Information and Orientation in Ebonyi State, called on INEC and other relevant public institutions to take responsibility and implement the provisions of the law and bring those who contravened the law to book, irrespective of their political affiliation.
Dr. Otu called on politicians to desist from imposing themselves on the people through vote buying and manipulation of the system to restore the confidence of the citizens on the electoral process.
A lawyer, Mr. Sampson Ekigbo; an economist, Dr. Bigben Ogbonna; and a social commentator, Dr. Livinus Ezuwa, urged the electorate to be wary of politicians who induce them with money but insist on electing credible leaders to enthrone good governance at all levels.
EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU
