The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Center) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strictly adhere to the provisions of the Electoral Law of 2022 and its Guidelines.
HEDA made the call in the context of controversies surrounding the availability, validity or otherwise of the certificates of candidates seeking elective office in the country.
This was contained in a statement signed by HEDA President Olanrewaju Suraju and made available to the Nigerian News Agency (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday.
Mr. Suraju asked the head of the INEC not to let himself be distracted or intimidated by anyone who does not comply with the requirements and provisions of the Electoral Law, before the general elections.
According to him, the political class deploys all kinds of rhetoric to appeal to the electorate to vote for them.
“We do not ignore all the crooked game plans and shenanigans of some politicians regarding their eligibility or otherwise to run for different positions.
“We have seen different unsubstantiated stories in the moonlight by elected or appointed people about the whereabouts of their credentials and how the court adjudicated those matters.
“As a leading organization against corruption and a non-partisan league for human rights and development, we call on the INEC to be guided by the provisions of the Electoral Law and its guidelines,” said Mr. Suraju.
He urged the Commission to reject the submission of affidavits in lieu of certificates by candidates due to the various controversies surrounding the swearing of affidavits that are well known to the Commission.
He said that an affidavit cannot replace a certificate from an institution, adding that it only contains facts that the affiant believes to be true, which cannot replace primary evidence.
“We have been closely monitoring developments around the submission of candidate names and the list of credentials for the 2023 general election by political parties.
“The most recent news is that of candidates claiming that their school certificates are missing.
“Nigerians cannot be intimidated by malicious and mendacious claims emanating from the political establishment.
“We believe that the commission’s guidelines for the preparation of the 2023 general election for political parties and the public are clear enough regarding the presentation of certificates.”
The anti-corruption crusader said that no one is above the law and everyone, regardless of their social class, is expected to strictly abide by the provisions of the law.
He said that it is common knowledge that anyone who claims to have lost their certificate can always request the granting institution to issue another copy or true certified copy of the certificate or its transcript.
“We demand that your commission communicate the annulment of the affidavits presented by some candidates, in the next elections to all the affected candidates and their parties.
“Failure to comply with this legal responsibility will leave HEDA with no choice but to go to a court of competent jurisdiction to obtain an order preventing its Commission from recognizing such candidates.
He thanked the Commission for listening to the public outcry over the extension of new voter registration.
He said the gesture is a demonstration of the Commission’s determination to hold free and fair elections, in which the largest number of eligible voters can freely exercise their right to vote.
“We congratulate INEC and reiterate our commitment to ensuring good governance in Nigeria and assure them of our tireless support for free and fair elections in Nigeria,” he added.
(YAYA)