TEXT OF PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE END OF 52nd NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE [NEC] MEETING, OF THE NATIONAL CONSCIENCE PARTY [NCP] HELD AT THE NCP SECRETARIAT, 1 YAOUNDE STREET, WUSE ZONE 6, ABUJA, 1st MAY 2015, BY THE NATIONAL CHAIRMAN NCP DR YUNUSA TANKO
Balance sheet
The 2015 electoral campaign and elections have come and gone, but we still have a lot to do. We know that REAL change has not come as the resultant regimes, from the federal to the states, will not be favorable to the masses as time goes on as it is another triumph of deceit. Let us congratulate the Nigerian people the real winner of the general elections and also congratulate the President-elect General Mohammadu Buhari and of course the out-going President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat in good time thereby forestalling any acrimony. Jonathan’s action had gone a long way to ensure post-election peace being enjoyed in the country
However, we maintain that the key parties that emerged remain the same parties of the elites and are going to continue with the same program and policies, which landed us all in crisis and mass poverty. It is definitely not yet uhuru for the Nigerian people as they will have to stand up and fight for survival within the shortest possible time. We must not in any way get carried away by the sudden hail of success of democracy in Nigeria. Today, tons of commendations fill the airwaves and media from both local and international hailing democracy in Nigeria. All of a sudden, villains have been transformed into heroes. Top on the hail list chart are Jonathan, Buhari and Jega. As a serious political party that understands the real issues at stake and committed to socio-economic liberation of the mass majority, we cannot afford to join in the bandwagon of deceit and confusion. It is in our interest to maintain a very sober attitude and focus our attentions on the concrete facts on the ground over the promotion of the myths that currently dominates the media and the circles of the elites. To us in spite of the outcome of the presidential elections, which seems to reflect the popular wish of the electorates cumulatively, the entire electoral process was a massive fraud. In the first instance, an electoral process is not just about elections alone, far from it. It is a combination of processes starting with the democratic rights granted all individual irrespective of class or race, the nature of the political parties, how they are financed and what control the rank and file have over the parties, how they picked their candidates, how they campaigned, where they got funds and how much they spent on the campaign. In addition, it also includes how fair and efficient the electoral body is and what independent checks and balances are actually in place to guarantee free and fair election. And we cannot forget to mention, how independent the electoral process from the influence of imperialism.
The entire process was rigged against the toiling and oppressed masses from the start. The political parties of the rich made sure that no poor person or youth could afford their party’s ticket due to high fees they charge in spite of the forms coming free from INEC. Only the NCP defied this injustice, all forms were free. There was no limit to funds raised and spent by the jumbo parties. They violated all rules set up on electoral funding and expense. It is on record that billions of dollar not naira was spent. This is going down in history as the most expensive election in the history of Africa. The amount spent is actually enough to develop the country. There were very limited public debates with many of the bourgeois candidates in PDP and APC refusing to appear in these public debates. The mainstream media was only available to the super rich. The rallies were money and food sharing events, and electoral violence was out of control with scores dying weeks before the elections.
We cannot also forget the undermining role played by the main electoral body itself in spite of billions spent on it. Till date millions of people still don’t have permanent voters’ card, PVC. The geographical imbalance in its distribution is still not explained. During the elections, the dirtiest methods were seen in operation everywhere by both PDP and APC. They both shared money. They both rigged. They both wrote results. They both used ethno-religious sentiment. We cannot close our eyes to all these atrocities. As we know that these are the obstacles put up to prevent a pro-masses party like NCP from taking political power in the interest of the masses and all poor strata of the society. It is impossible statistically that in a plural society like ours with about 360 ethnic nationalities only two political parties out of about 28 parties win seats in just concluded general elections at federal, state and local government levels. The probability of this happening is zero in a NORMAL SITUATION. The reasons for the occurrence of this “wonder of the world” are not far-fetched.
Expectations
Having finished thoroughly with this election matter we call on the President-elect to justify his electoral victory by initiating people-oriented development projects because Nigerians voted on the basis of his campaign promises and should know that the era when politicians took the electorate for granted had gone. Therefore the president-elect must justify people’s confidence in him by striving to fulfil his promises to them. It is by fulfilling the promises that the change of government will make meaning. Fundamental issues affecting the country such as insecurity, corruption, unemployment and poor electric power supply, exchange rate of N1 to $1, petrol at N40 per litre, one free midday meal for our children in schools, freedom for chibok girls within 2months etc. should be given prompt attention as promised.
We also call on the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, to scrap the outrageous allocations for meals and diesel consumed by public office holders in Nigeria, including from the Presidency because the President of the USA pays for his meals. We demand a comprehensive reform of the political structure of the country from the Presidency down to the Local Governments also as a necessity to inject sanity into governance in Nigeria. There must be complete reform from the Presidency to all tiers of government. A fleet of 11 Aircrafts for Nigerian President, if indeed true, is inexplicable and outrageous when the President of the USA officially has one, and the Prime Minister of UK has none. Therefore, the outrageous allocations for meals, diesel and sundries should be scrapped because the President of the USA pays for his meals.
The present outrageous salaries of Nigerian legislators must be drastically cut down to a reasonable for a change. A situation where a Nigerian Senator earns more than American President should not be allowed to continue. We are for a constitutional amendment to give way for part-time legislature to reduce the amount of money spent on the people’s representatives in order to have more money to pursue developmental projects for the people. We are for local government autonomy. We demand The President-elect urgent intervention and scrapping of the present dubious and scandalous governors’ pension (that is the vogue now in the country) on the ground that it is elitist as it merely serves to sustain the life of opulence of affected former officers of State without concomitant contributions to the development of the State by these former officials and liabilities so ridiculous that such state are owing workers’ salary, contemplating in a cut workers’ salary, and not even paying minimum and miserable wage of N18,000.00 monthly.
Party De-Registration
We say no to party de-registration in Nigeria and invite the urgent intervention of President-elect to discourage and discontinue the unprecedented and unwholesome practice of de-registering political parties in Nigeria. Just to mention a few there about three hundreds political parties in the UK registered with the electoral commission, but three are the following parties represented in the house of commons; Labour Party, Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats, Respect, SDLP, Democratic Unionist Party, Ulster Unionist Party, Plaid Cymru, Scottish National Party. Sinn Fein (Irish Republican Party) also have 5 MP’s that refuse to attend Parliament in London. The following larger parties regularly contest elections but currently don’t have MP’s in London; Green Party, UK Independence Party, Alliance Party of NI, British National Party. None has been deregistered for not winning election.
There are hundreds of different political parties in the US the two major parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, who are more alike that either wishes to admit. There are several “third” parties, none of which has any seats in the House, and none of which has much of a chance of getting even one more congressional seat. (The one is Socialist Bernie Sanders.)
Of the potential third parties which may occasionally play a spoiler role in politics they are, in no particular order, the Libertarians, the Greens, the Peace and Freedom, the Conservatives, the Communists, the Socialists, the Constitutional Party, the Farmer/Laborer party (in Minnesota, they ARE the “Democrats”) and the Progressive Party. None is deregistered for not winning a seat! The question is where did INEC come about this retrogressive posture in any part of the world? Where is the precedent of party deregistration in any part of the world, nowhere? INEC should therefore concentrate on adequate preparations towards future credible elections and stop dissipating its energy on non-productive, backward and retrogressive venture of party deregistration forthwith!
In the circumstance we call on the incoming 8th Legislative Assembly to drop all provisions in the proposed electoral act or constitutional amendment that tends towards party deregistration in all its ramifications. Party deregistration is retrogressive, antithetical to democratic development and therefore must no longer be allowed in our statute book.
Dr YunusaTanko
National Conscience Party National Chairman
