The Akwa Ibom Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, has passed a verdict on most Nigerian politicians: They do not read.
Igini spoke this on Thursday at Bezaleel Hall, AKHA Road, off Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo during a one-day seminar on understanding the Electoral Act, 2022 mounted by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for members of Nigeria Union Journalists, Akwa Ibom Council.
He was indirectly referring to the misunderstanding some politicians mainly political office seekers are having with INEC owing to their reluctance to read and implement the Electoral Act, 2022.
Of recent, Sections 29(1), 33 and 84(1) of the Act have brought INEC at loggerhead with some politicians because the provisions in the Act are contradictory to those of the Electoral No. 2010.
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In particular, Igini lamented that National Assembly made up of 109 Senators and 360 members in the House of Representatives failed to read the Act hence their exclusion as statutory delegates from the party’s primaries.
The resident Commissioner noted that most politicians fail to read the Act despite the debates generated by some provisions in the Act.
He described the Electoral Act, 2003 as the worst in the history of election in the country, advising people to always read the Constitution seen as oracle while the Act is the chief priest.
”Unfortunately,’ he said, ‘even some lawyers advertise ignorance on Electoral Act, 2022, thus expanding the web of misunderstanding and ignorance among the populace.
”Even some of my colleagues at the Bench give us more problems owing to misinterpretation and ruling given on the provisions of the Act.
”Information is knowledge while knowledge is power. There is need for people to read more about democratic cultures to be in a position to participate in the processes to avoid crying wolf after election, saying ”Democracy is not working at the level of ordinary people,’’ he added.
The state NUJ Chairman, Amos Etuk thanked INEC for mounting the seminar to educate journalists on the Act so that they would be able to educate the masses.
Etuk expressed the hope that journalists would be able to replicate the knowledge gained to the benefit of the society.
