June 15, 2010
A shadow parliament convened by Nigerians in the United States at the weekend voted to send a well-trained observer team to monitor the forthcoming elections in Nigeria.
To that end, Speaker of the parliament, Okey Ndibe, a professor of literature at Trinity College, Connecticut, requested that members of the parliament interested in being part of the election monitoring team should indicate by notifying him or officials of the Nigeria Democratic Liberty Forum, convener of the parliament.
A shadow parliament convened by Nigerians in the United States at the weekend voted to send a well-trained observer team to monitor the forthcoming elections in Nigeria.
To that end, Speaker of the parliament, Okey Ndibe, a professor of literature at Trinity College, Connecticut, requested that members of the parliament interested in being part of the election monitoring team should indicate by notifying him or officials of the Nigeria Democratic Liberty Forum, convener of the parliament.
The Nigeria Peoples’ Parliament in Diaspora (NPPiD) is a platform for Nigerian citizens resident in the United States to meet periodically to deliberate on the challenges facing their country. It met for the first time in March this year.
Last week’s session attracted participants from various states of the US, including California, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Georgia and Illinois.
Speaking before the parliament adjourned its second session on Saturday, Ndibe remarked that, for Nigeria to move forward and be taken seriously by the international community, the country must have transparent elections conducted in line with the best practices around the world.
He suggested that, in order to prevent the rigging of the 2011 elections, Nigerian citizens must be vigilant and must show more than a passing interest in the process.
“So, we want to set up a team to go to Nigeria to monitor the election. We want to be there on the ground to observe the process,” Ndibe said.
The speaker therefore urged the more than 80 parliamentarians seated in the chamber to make financial and material contributions to ensure the success of the proposed project.
Earlier, the NDLF’s executive director, Bukola Oreofe, explained that the planned observer team would be equipped with sophisticated gadgets that would enable them to collect any evidence of electoral fraud.
Oreofe also announced that, apart from the team from the United States, the parliament would also raise a crop of committed and patriotic local volunteers all over Nigeria to serve as additional monitors.
The volunteers, he said would also be equipped to collect records of proceedings at polling units, and file results of elections to a central collation centre to be established by the parliament.
“Our plan is to have a credible, fool proof result at the end of the day. We will then use whatever we have gathered to challenge any attempt to rig the election,” Oreofe said. “When other observer teams are presenting their findings, we will also be presenting ours.”
Earlier at the session, held at the LaGuardia Crowne Plaza in New York, the parliament passed a resolution urging the federal government to prosecute former military leader, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, and ban him from holding public office, for annulling the June 12, 1993 election.
The resolution was sequel to a motion moved by Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Saharareporters.com, an online news medium, and Alex Kabba, publisher of African Abroad-USA, a New York-based newspaper, to the effect that “Babangida be banned from public office indefinitely.”
In the motion, seconded by Bukola Shonuga, the two publishers argued that Babangida should be regarded as a criminal and prosecuted for annulling the fairest and freest election in Nigeria’s history.
“The time has come for punishment to be meted on the criminals who annulled that election,” they said. “We must also find out from Babangida the identity of those who allegedly put a gun to his head and asked him to annul the election. They should all be identified, interrogated and appropriately punished.”
Other motions were also discussed and adopted. NDLF’s chairman, Adegboyega Dada, moved that “June 12 should be declared Nigeria’s Democracy Day and be so recognized by the Nigerian government.” Gbenga Agbaje moved that the late Abiola, a businessman cum politician, should be posthumously declared winner of the election while Haziz Ajayi, proposed that Mr. Abiola’s photograph should be put on Nigeria’s N1000 note. The motions all passed.
The motions followed a general debate on the place of June 12 in Nigeria’s political history. In his contribution to the debate, Mr. Ndibe described June 12 as “one of those rare moments when the promise and prospect of Nigeria as a viable political entity came alive.”
In an opening speech before the parliament began its deliberation, Dada urged Nigerians “to renew your spirit in readiness for the task ahead.” He added, “Together, we can do new things. Remember, patriots never keep mute.”
Also during the session, the parliament received and deliberated on the report of its electoral and constitutional review committee.
The committee, chaired by Bolaji Aluko, a political activist and professor of chemical engineering at Howard University in Washington, recommended that that the Independent National Electoral Commission should have an oversight board comprised of representatives of political parties, and that Nigerians in the Diaspora should be eligible to vote.
The parliament passed a resolution calling for the immediate adoption of the electoral system used for the 1993 election. Many parliamentarians argued that the 1993 system produced a credible election that the military junta headed by Babangida criminally nullified.
A committee on the Niger Delta submitted its report to the parliament. However, the body decided to move consideration of the committee’s report to next session, which date will be fixed soon.
To that end, Speaker of the parliament, Okey Ndibe, a professor of literature at Trinity College, Connecticut, requested that members of the parliament interested in being part of the election monitoring team should indicate by notifying him or officials of the Nigeria Democratic Liberty Forum, convener of the parliament.
The Nigeria Peoples’ Parliament in Diaspora (NPPiD) is a platform for Nigerian citizens resident in the United States to meet periodically to deliberate on the challenges facing their country. It met for the first time in March this year.Last week’s session attracted participants from various states of the US, including California, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Georgia and Illinois.
Speaking before the parliament adjourned its second session on Saturday, Ndibe remarked that, for Nigeria to move forward and be taken seriously by the international community, the country must have transparent elections conducted in line with the best practices around the world.
He suggested that, in order to prevent the rigging of the 2011 elections, Nigerian citizens must be vigilant and must show more than a passing interest in the process.
“So, we want to set up a team to go to Nigeria to monitor the election. We want to be there on the ground to observe the process,” Ndibe said.
The speaker therefore urged the more than 80 parliamentarians seated in the chamber to make financial and material contributions to ensure the success of the proposed project.
Earlier, the NDLF’s executive director, Bukola Oreofe, explained that the planned observer team would be equipped with sophisticated gadgets that would enable them to collect any evidence of electoral fraud.
Oreofe also announced that, apart from the team from the United States, the parliament would also raise a crop of committed and patriotic local volunteers all over Nigeria to serve as additional monitors.
The volunteers, he said would also be equipped to collect records of proceedings at polling units, and file results of elections to a central collation centre to be established by the parliament.
“Our plan is to have a credible, fool proof result at the end of the day. We will then use whatever we have gathered to challenge any attempt to rig the election,” Oreofe said. “When other observer teams are presenting their findings, we will also be presenting ours.”
Earlier at the session, held at the LaGuardia Crowne Plaza in New York, the parliament passed a resolution urging the federal government to prosecute former military leader, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, and ban him from holding public office, for annulling the June 12, 1993 election.
The resolution was sequel to a motion moved by Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Saharareporters.com, an online news medium, and Alex Kabba, publisher of African Abroad-USA, a New York-based newspaper, to the effect that “Babangida be banned from public office indefinitely.”
In the motion, seconded by Bukola Shonuga, the two publishers argued that Babangida should be regarded as a criminal and prosecuted for annulling the fairest and freest election in Nigeria’s history.
“The time has come for punishment to be meted on the criminals who annulled that election,” they said. “We must also find out from Babangida the identity of those who allegedly put a gun to his head and asked him to annul the election. They should all be identified, interrogated and appropriately punished.”
Other motions were also discussed and adopted. NDLF’s chairman, Adegboyega Dada, moved that “June 12 should be declared Nigeria’s Democracy Day and be so recognized by the Nigerian government.” Gbenga Agbaje moved that the late Abiola, a businessman cum politician, should be posthumously declared winner of the election while Haziz Ajayi, proposed that Mr. Abiola’s photograph should be put on Nigeria’s N1000 note. The motions all passed.
The motions followed a general debate on the place of June 12 in Nigeria’s political history. In his contribution to the debate, Mr. Ndibe described June 12 as “one of those rare moments when the promise and prospect of Nigeria as a viable political entity came alive.”
In an opening speech before the parliament began its deliberation, Dada urged Nigerians “to renew your spirit in readiness for the task ahead.” He added, “Together, we can do new things. Remember, patriots never keep mute.”
Also during the session, the parliament received and deliberated on the report of its electoral and constitutional review committee.
The committee, chaired by Bolaji Aluko, a political activist and professor of chemical engineering at Howard University in Washington, recommended that that the Independent National Electoral Commission should have an oversight board comprised of representatives of political parties, and that Nigerians in the Diaspora should be eligible to vote.
The parliament passed a resolution calling for the immediate adoption of the electoral system used for the 1993 election. Many parliamentarians argued that the 1993 system produced a credible election that the military junta headed by Babangida criminally nullified.
A committee on the Niger Delta submitted its report to the parliament. However, the body decided to move consideration of the committee’s report to next session, which date will be fixed soon.
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