PRESS STATEMENT MONDAY 25-08-2014
The spokesperson for the Lagos State House of Assembly and Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy, Security and Publicity representing Epe Constituency II, Hon Segun Olulade has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to justify its neutrality in the conduct of elections in Nigeria by ensuring strictly the electoral laws and regulations in the country.
Olulade in a release made available to newsmen over the weekend faulted the national electoral body for what he described as “Sidon look approach” to various public campaigns and endorsement jamborees embarked upon by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) since the beginning of the year even when INEC is yet to lift ban on public campaigns and rally.
“It is very worrisome that Mr. President himself flagged-off the outright violation of electoral rules by sheer declaration and participation in rallies in different states across the country even days after the Boko Haram insurgents attacked location near the Federal Capital in April 14th 2014”.
Olulade said the bad precedence established by Mr President and the Peoples’ Democratic Party has grown to a full-blown disregard to INEC electoral campaign regulations.
He viewed the endorsement rally held in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital last Saturday for President Goodluck Jonathan as another law-breaking jamboree that is counter-productive to the growth of Nigeria’s democracy.
“Even though the entire crowd gathered for the entire South West endorsement is not half of the people following Aregbesola in Osun State alone. The Nigerian people are fully in tandem with the memory of similar jamborees in the past and what follows, so we are not bothered save for the fact that INEC as a body must operate without fair or favour if Nigerians are to have any faith in the coming 2015 general elections”, Olulade said
The lawmaker charged the PDP to copy APC’s best practice in discipline and adherence to the rule of Law. While concluding, Olulade said he was disappointed that Mr President who is claiming commitment to the Rule of Law as one of the cardinal point of his so called ‘transformation agenda’ is the vanguard of anti-rule of law as it concerns electoral practices in the country.
Signed:
Hon. Segun Olulade
Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy, Security and Publicity Lagos State House of Assembly.
