Deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, Obafemi Hamzat, has advocated the decentralisation of the conduct of elections in Nigeria, saying the current situation whereby everything flows from Abuja is expensive, wasteful and time-consuming.
Hamzat spoke with newsmen at the Lagos Collation Centre of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Yaba, as he made reference to countries like the USA, UK, India and others with efficient electoral processes. He noted that Nigeria as a country “is not serious” and cannot develop with the manner it is being run.
Hamzat argued that the decentralisation of elections in Nigeria would bring about efficiency in distribution of materials and collation and announcement of results.
The deputy governorship candidate, who bemoaned the long delay often associated with results of elections in Nigeria, said if, for example, the processes are split along the six geopolitical zones with a coordinating INEC office in each of the zones allowed to print its materials, but monitored by INEC at the centre, it would be easier and faster to distribute materials to the polling units.
This, he believed, would take care of complaints of disenfranchisement of voters on account of late arrival of materials.
The former Lagos State commissioner for works and infrastructure, decried the huge cost of centralised elections in the country, describing it as a national waste. He pointed out that despite the huge cost, the country’s elections are still far from acceptable standard and replete with ballot-box snatching, killings and arson.
“The budget of INEC is bigger than the national budget for works and housing. We can’t grow like that. The cost of election cannot be higher than what is budget for infrastructure development that would impact the citizens, and we say we want to grow.”
