Political and labour stakeholders have made case for active citizens’ participation in the 2023 electoral processes, especially voting, in order to jointly evolve a system that works for every Nigerian.
The stakeholders spoke at a one-day seminar themed “beyond voting: the role of citizens in ensuring a free, fair and transparent 2023 election”, organised by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), an international non-profit organisation, in collaboration with Labour Writers’ Association of Nigeria (LAWAN), Tuesday, in Lagos.
Their call comes as Isa Aremu, the director-general of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, Kwara State, has asked Godwin Emefiele, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to resign having cause Nigerians to lose confidence in the banking system, and the hardship that the naira redesign policy has unleashed on millions of citizens across the country.
Jide Johnson, the deputy provost, Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) and guest lecturer at the seminar, argued that the only way to make democracy participatory was for the citizens to take active part in choosing their leaders through a peaceful election.
“Whoever emerges president in the 2023 election will need everyone’s support to succeed. So, beyond registration, there must be active participation of the citizens in the actual voting during the election.
“This is more important because that’s what determines who governs you,” said Johnson, who was represented by Fatoyibo Ibrahim.
Speaking also, Oluwole Olusoji, president of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institution (ASSBIFI), said there was a need for politicians and party supporters to move their conservations away from ethnicity and religion and focus on issue-based campaign as well as a violence-free polls.
On the naira crisis, Olusoji said though good policy, the CBN has, however, ended up creating a biggest problem by the poor implementation of the policy which has left millions of Nigerians frustrated.
Wale Smatt-Oyerinde, the director-general of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), making a case for a peaceful election, said it would improve Nigeria’s international standing.
Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), represented by Chris Onyeka, said the labour movement would be liaising the citizens and civil societies to deepen democracy.
Meanwhile, Aremu has lamented the impact of the naira policy and the naira scarcity.
According to Aremu, the people you are swapping the naira for cannot access the currency. The CBN has undermined its independence with what it cannot sustain.
He attributed the problem to poor consultation and the lack of democratic control. “If Godwin Emefiele works in a bank and caused this kind of crisis, he would have been fired,” he added.
Aremu, therefore, advised that the next CBN governor must not be a banker, but an independent person that will perform better in office.
