1999 Constitution Amendment: Lagos PDP Lists Gains Of Same-day Elections' Proposal




The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Lagos State has thrown its weight behind the fresh proposal to amend the 1999 Constitution to allow all elections in Nigeria to be conducted on the same day in 2027.
 
The PDP Vice Chairman (Lagos Central), Mr Hakeem Olalemi, gave the backing in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria  on Wednesday in Lagos.
 
NAN reports that the proposal, spearheaded by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review, chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, is being considered as part of broader constitutional amendments, following recent zonal public hearing across the six geo-political zones.
 
The amendment, if passed, would mandate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct presidential, governorship, National Assembly, and state assembly polls in a single day 
 
According to Olalemi, the proposal, if allowed to sail through would reduce costs of logistics for electoral umpire, political parties, candidates, encourage electorate by eliminating staggered elections and reduce bandwagon effects.
 
"If this amendment is allowed to scale through, it will bring Nigeria to some form of  breakthrough in the democracy we should be practicing. 
 
"A single day election will not only help our democracy, it will also reduce wastage of resources we expend every four years on elections logistics.  This will make our elections freer and fairer and make our democracy stronger.
 
"It will help our democracy a lot. A lot of people will want to participate in elections with this. 
 
"A single day election will increase political participation because the usual layers of stress people undergo keep many electorate away for polling units. 
 
"With this ease, the recurrent problem of voter apathy affecting our democracy, will reduce.
 
"How I wish the national assembly would really see  reasons to allow this bill to pass it will help our elections in so many ways," the PDP chieftain said.
 
According to him, those who do not want Nigeria's electoral system to grow will not allow such proposals to pass for selfish political purposes.
 
Olalemi said: "I don't think anyone  should stand against this move. 
 
"Someday, I believe Nigeria's election and democracy will grow. It is however cheaper and more efficient for us to do our elections in one day.
 
"If elections are held on same day, all the candidates of a political party will find it easy to pool together resources to prosecute electioneering, including logistics for party agents.
 
"In fact, reducing shutting down of nation's economy through total restriction of human and vehicular movement on election day from two days to only one day is a huge advantage.
 
"Similarly, the double stress thousands of security operatives, observers including the media and other stakeholders go through will be eliminated.
 
"If we look at the advantages, we should embrace this as another milestone in the nation's democracy," Olalemi said. 

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