- I Never Heard Of Any Politician Tried For Electoral Malfeasances.
- Those Behind Electoral Offences Have Fat Bank Account In Their Countries. They’re More Interested In Maintaining It Than Imposing Visa Sanction.
By Charles Adingupu
As foreign nations detailed their personnel to monitor the progress of the last general elections threatened Visa sanction on politicians who indulged in vote buying, ballot box snatching and other infractions, former Foreign Affairs Minister, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi has dismissed the declaration as an empty threat.
Consequent upon the conclusion of the general elections, the United States of America (USA), Britain and the European Union have in different fora reiterated their preparedness to commence the Visa Sanction on politicians indicted for different electoral offences.
The foreign nations were reported to have started compilation of names of prominent politicians allegedly involved in perpetrating different electoral infractions capable of derailing the electoral process.
But Akinyemi who stated that the foreign nations would not be able to carry out their threat, said their declaration was a regular routine.
“Every time we had elections in Nigeria, the Britain, European Union and United States of America seem to raise their concerns of the validity of the election results. They issued Visa Sanction on politicians culpable in electoral malfeasances.
“I must admit quickly that I have never had of any body being tried by these foreign nations for electoral infractions.
“The reason is that those behind these electoral malfeasances are powerful politicians who have fat Bank Account in their countries. They’re more interested in keeping the fat Bank Account than exposing them.
“Those paid thugs carrying sticks, knives and guns to unleash unnecessary violence on unsuspecting voters don’t need Visa to travel anywhere,” he said.
The former Minister disclosed that late President Musa Yaradua who public admitted that the election that catapulted him to power was fraught with irregularities, inaugurated the Uwais’Commission to nip in the bud once and for all electoral malfeasances.
Akinyemi who disclosed that he was a member of the the Uwais Commission, described the project as an unfinished business.
The former minister who stated that the Uwais Commission recommended Electoral Offences Tribunal to check mate vote buying, ballot box snatching, election rigging and other electoral vices that seem to undermine the democratic process, lamented that the President Yaradua never lived to implement the commission’s report.
According to him, President Yaradua was critically ill when the committee was working on its report and upon its completion, the man died.
He regretted that his successor, former President Goodluck Jonathan never had the political will to implement the commission’s report.
The former minister however disclosed that there are laws in the nation’s criminal code against hooliganism and breaching Electoral process.
Against this backdrop, he declared that one do not need Tribunal to convict someone who had inflicted bodily harm to another.
He expressed optimism that as time progresses, things would begin to take shape.
Akinyemi who also expressed satisfaction over the disclosure of Ogun State Commissioner, Frank Mba that 30 persons are currently in the custody over their alleged involvement in different electoral infractions ranging from voting buying, ballot box snatching, election rigging and perpetrating violence.
The former minister expressed the hope that they would be tried appropriately, adding that it would serve as deterrent to potential thugs.
