Hi guys, good evening. I hope you have had a wonderful week. This is Bekeme, aka Mummy G. O on The Good Citizen Show today.
My week have been beautiful. We have had a great time. We are all readjusted to Covid 19. And that is why I come to you today, refreshed. We talked about politics. Yes, politics because the vibing thing this week was the electoral act, which was recently released.
Did you know that the government has approved the February 25th has the date for the presidential elections and March 11th as the date for the gubernatorial elections? Let’s get familiar with the candidates and let’s be diligent about out venting process. It’s all in our hands.
The third thing is, if anybody tells you that the elections are not important, why then do politicians amass so much wealth to give out so much money and to buy so many votes? It’s because it’s important. So, we do not sharpen and our swords and be ready for elections. And it doesn’t start on the day of the elections, it’s start now. Way before campaigning start. Way before we actually put in our votes.
If you speak or understand or know anybody who understands the Hausa language or that is based in the North, remember that our Hausa version of the Things Dey Happen radio drama is still on going. Although we had the pidgin version, we still have the Hausa version on going, airing on various radio stations in the north. Remember, it’s about Hadiza, this young woman who goes to work in a mine, and it’s sexually abused by her boss. But nobody stands with her except one woman who works for an NGO, and the sad part is, this man, her boss, is aided by his wife, who is a lawyer called, Lati. We are on the eleventh episode. We have two more to go. So, make sure that you have your friends, your relatives, your sisters, aunties, tune in to listen to Things Dey Happen. Things Dey Happen oh. And those thimgs need to change for the better.
So, today we are talking about what you need to know about the upcoming elections. This is not the first time we are talking about elections. It is very critical to being a good citizen. My colleague here is wearing one of our t-shirts saying, “I am Nigerian. Too coo to loot”. And every time I wear it, I am like yes. I know that I am too cool to loot. It should be scavengers who loot. And we have to be involved in the governance process. Alright?
In the past weeks, we talked about not being swayed by political processes or promises, and to start rethinking our values and what we stand for.
So, today we will be getting into the nitty-gritty of the elections by equipping ourselves with the knowledge we need for the upcoming elections, because as they say, knowledge is power. The Ukraine – Russia war is pointing to that fact even more. In the past, nobody knew what was happening, until just a couple of people manage the narrative, but in real time we are getting information from the war zone from the war front, so we know what is happening and we can take independent decisions based on the information that reaches us.
On Friday, February 25th, President Muhammadu Buhari appended his signature towards making the electoral process more transparent, more credible, and less cumbersome. The decision of the president to give his ascent to this new electoral act amendment will 2022 put an end to the 12-year journey of the old law, under which 3 general elections and many upcycle have been conducted.
After the 2011 general elections, there were agitations for the electoral law to be improved upon and amended. And to include the use of technology in the electoral process. And in November 2021, the President withheld ascent though, to the electoral bill, citing various considerations, including security challenges, possible manipulation of electoral process by political parties, cost of conducting direct primaries, etcetera, etcetera.
Now the provisions of the new electoral law act are based on observations on previous elections, as well as recommendations by critical stakeholders, including the security personnel, all political parties, civic society, domestic and foreign observer, and the like. And for far too long, we have been able to witness this trend where politicians continue to take advantage of the existing electoral legal framework. Basically, exploit the process, to truncate good governance and the will of the people. and sadly, we have complicit even when we actually haven’t been involved in any corrupt act. We have been complicit in the sense that we have sat back and allowed other people to take our destiny. It is not the way it ought to be. Alright?! It is important that we step out and check any foul play from any unscrupulous persons. As I always say, the politicians come from amongst us
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So, to have this all-important discussion, I am excited to have in the studio today, Mr. Kunle Lawal. Kunle is a politician. He is a public speaker, he is a patriot, who currently serves as the executive director of the electoral college Nigeria and as country lead for World Chat Nigeria. He is going to talk to us today, what you need to know for the next elections. And I expect that this should be a very engaging conversation. I think that Kunle is most knowledgeable person I know about electoral processes. He is someone that I call frequently to sound out when I am stalk. And I am very excited to have him here with us today on the show.
Bekeme: Welcome Kunle. Can you hear us?
Kunle Lawal: Good evening, it’s a pleasure to be here and it is always amazing whilst we have a conversation. It’s a pleasure to be in Lagos. So, thank you very much.
Bekeme: Thank you for joining us. Sadly, you couldn’t join us physically because you’ve been literally running around the whole country. (Kunle Laughs) Doing what? Please explain to us again. You keep on telling me, and I am like okay, what is it again? Where are you going? Who are you educating around the country?
Kunle Lawal: Yes. Yes. Yes. It’s a political thing. So, I would that (voice becomes inaudible)
Bekeme: Okay, Kunle. So, let’s allow Kunle some privacy on that matter, but Kunle have been travelling and educating people about governance, really, across the nation, and I said, we are excited to bring him to you because I am sure that you have questions to ask. And please call us at point during the course of this conversation. It’s 0700-923-923-923. Again, it’s 0700-923-923-923. This is an interactive session. You want to know, then call us to find out. Now Kunle, can you, because we don’t have a lot of time, we are going to jump right into the meat of the discussion. Can you elaborate on some key areas we would like for our listeners to know about the electoral act that may be crucial in the next elections? And you know, your opinion in the act itself, considering our current political clan
Kunle Lawal: Okay. So, this electoral act, of course, comes with a new thing, the first one will be addition of the consensus mode in primaries. So, we have the indirect. We have the direct. And then the consensus mode of primaries. So, indirect is what we are used to normally. Which involves delegates
Bekeme: (Cuts in) Hmmm Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: A (voice becomes inaudible) set of delegates
Bekeme: (Cuts in) Hmm hmm
Kunle Lawal: Of the party and then
Bekeme: (Cuts in) To represent others. Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: Voting. Whoever wins is to represent the party.
Bekeme: Okay
Kunle Lawal: The direct primaries of course, every member within the constituent for a particular position will be having in the voting, for who emerges represent the party
Bekeme: Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: Then the consensus now, which is new, will of course gather all the aspirants based on the hierarchy of the party. They choose who they feel is the best. So, they stop others from extending that (voice becomes inaudible), that will cause direct primaries to participate.
Bekeme: hmmm
Kunle Lawal: There is also a new introduction in the electoral act, which is the electronic transmission of results.
Bekeme: Hmmmm
Kunle Lawal: Now, we have always had issues with the collation of results. Where the rigging really occurs is between polling unit and where it’s been taken to. For the ballot to be put together
Bekeme: (Cuts in) Hmmmm
Kunle Lawal: And then transmitted to the national
Bekeme: Yes
Kunle Lawal: So, now the PVC readers will transmit electronically (voice becomes inaudible) the law. So, this will cut down a lot of rigging. Not all, but quite a lot of rigging.
Bekeme: Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: Another interesting part of this, of course, the new electoral act is the forms of the expression of an interested firm, political positions being restricted. Now, they all are aware. The presidential form as of 2019 will cost as much as 45 million
Bekeme: Hmmm hmmm
Kunle Lawal: But now, we have a restriction on 10 million
Bekeme: Okay
Kunle Lawal: In key, and then for president, 5 million for governor, and then 2 million for senate
Bekeme: Okay
Kunle Lawal: and down the line, you know, keep (voice becomes inaudible). These are things that will totally affect the way things are being done as regards the visual political will we have in Nigeria
Bekeme: Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: Because (voice becomes inaudible) They may look like small things, but these are things that eventually would want to add to a country. Try and cut down the process
Bekeme: (Cuts in) Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: To something that is actually reachable to everyone. To think, these are very key parts
Bekeme: (Cuts in) Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: that of course, can help boost forward a new direction in Nigeria. But, in every understanding, in a translation, in every change within the act, they need to understand that Nigerians are not conversant about the electoral act
Bekeme: Yes
Kunle Lawal: They cannot demand something great. They cannot engage the system and demand better. So, still standing within the electoral act, you know, that has been there, which has hasn’t been changed till now, it is of course, the finance being used to run for office.
Bekeme: Hmmm hmm
Kunle Lawal: So now, a president cannot exceed N1 billion if he is running for office. A governor cannot exceed 200 million. A senator cannot exceed
Bekeme: (Cuts in) So how do they monitor the funds?
Kunle Lawal: It is after the funds. Yes
Bekeme: How do they monitor the funds? How?
Kunle Lawal: No, those are the limit put financially. You are not supposed to expend such money
Bekeme: I know. I said, how do they monitor the funds to ensure thay don’t expend more than those amount, 1 billion, 1 third, now it’s like billion
Kunle Lawal: No, the electoral act clearly states how much. What the act does not state is who have the jurisdiction to monitor this process
Bekeme: (Cuts in) Yes, those are the little things
Kunle Lawal: That is where the problem has always been.
Bekeme: Yes. Right. Right. Because you can’t actually monitor. Anybody can say whatever and who, even, (Sigh). God. There is a lot more that needs to be done with that. Even if we have determined who will, which arm of government will oversee that.
Kunle Lawal: (Voice were inaudible) we could pinpoint, especially with little parts. No. no. no. This guy spent so so amount. This guy spent so so so amount.
Bekeme: hmmm
Kunle Lawal: As long as the electorate is not even educated on the electoral act, you will have a disconnect. Because the truth is, you cannot agitate. That’s why I keep saying, you can’t engage a system you don’t understand
Bekeme: Through that
Kunle Lawal: We just normally go on emotional this thing. Bad. This stupid party is bad. And that is
Bekeme: (Cuts in) Yes
Kunle Lawal: What we do in Nigeria. But nobody is ready to look at the papers and say okay, this should be done. This shouldn’t be done. We should look out for that; we should look out for this. That is where the problem is.
Bekeme: Yes, I mean, as you were talking though, I remember a conversation that we had, and before I get into that, I just wanted to say, you can start calling back now. We’ve had calls earlier. I wanted to let you finish you your preamble.
Kunle Lawal: Okay
Bekeme: So, you can call 0700-923-923-923. Again, 0700-923-923-923.
I remember that we had this conversation, prior to you being on the show. You know? You were telling me. A hundred and, was it a hundred and seventy-six thousand polling unit across the nation?
Kunle Lawal: Over a hundred and seventy-six thousand.
Bekeme: Over a hundred and seventy-six thousand polling unit. And you know, by the time we did the math, in terms of actually getting volunteers, and say maybe 5k, maybe 2 per polling unit, it was over a billion already. How is feasible that one would run a campaign with that cash? Not that billions don’t sound, billions sound like a huge amount of money. But just checking, is that they are expecting that politicians will build, already have garner good will enough to gather volunteers to be at this polling unit and all? I am trying to understand how feasible it is
Kunle Lawal: Yes, so the way the system looks at it, it doesn’t expect you to pay such people. it feels that it tries to be neutral about this.
Bekeme: Hmmm Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: It feels that these people, if they want to be president, they should be committed to yu
Bekeme: I agree
Kunle Lawal: That is not something we have. So, that’s why it kind of restrict the funding, which gives the onus for people to follow someone. But because we don’t understand how the system works we too demand our bits from governance
Bekeme: (Voice becomes inaudible) Hmm Hmm. Hmm hmm
Kunle Lawal: (Voice becomes inaudible) even when they get into governance.
Bekeme: (Cuts in) Hmm Hmm
Kunle Lawal: Eve towards our own cash
Bekeme: (Cuts in) our own egunje upfront, because (Laughs)
Kunle Lawal: (Voice becomes inaudible)
Bekeme: Yeah, the thing is that Kunle, what are you saying? Are you saying people should be opened providing their time and service of course, free of charge, to their candidate of choice?
Kunle Lawal: Yes, of course. I think that is where Nigerians misses it. If you look at developed countries, people sign up. Okay, this is my candidate. I want to work in your office. What candidates do in civilized countries, or more about democracy is that they provide lunch. They provide transport
Bekeme: Hmm Hmm
Kunle Lawal: So, you come to their campaign office, they buy lunch, then they get you dropped at home
Bekeme: Hmmm Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: These are kind of funds that they expend. There are people who bring in their, what do they call it, their vocation. So, somebody might be a graphic artist, somebody might be an IT guru, somebody might be an advert specialist, and they work with the campaign, in the resource of the campaign
Bekeme: Hmmm Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: And what the campaign just does is buy lunch for them.
Bekeme: Hmmm Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: That is how they drive the direction. But, the moment they hear you’re running for politics, they put something in a blog which would have been N15,000 for ma naturally. (Bekeme Laughs).
Bekeme: (Cuts in) Right
Kunle Lawal: It goes as high as 1.3 million
Bekeme: (Cuts in) Almost as though there are certain obstacles for you. Right. So, how feasible do you think it is? Actually rolling out this new electoral act, has it been signed early enough to impact the 2023 elections? I mean, presidential is February 25th? how feasible do you think it would be to put all of these in place?
Kunle Lawal: Well, it seems early enough, because it even takes to game into primaries. Now, primaries must be concluded from, between April 4, that is primaries and court issues that surrounding primaries between April 4th and June 3rd.
Bekeme: Hmmm Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: So, that is given quite a short time now, the used primaries being October
Bekeme: Hmmm Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: In 2019, it was October, and then you have 4 months to campaign, but this given longer time to campaign. So, it’s kind of a plus
Bekeme: Hmmm Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: And a minus at the same time. So, we are used to people being abstract for a long time, but now the electoral act kind of cut that time, so you just get the candidate
Bekeme: Hmmm Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: And expect the candidate to keep campaigning for a long time, so you know this party, this person is championing this course. He has a love of time to convince you. But so I’d like to see our turn down. But for me, early enough, it is enough time for INEC, for 1 years, there is totally enough time for everyone.
Bekeme: (Chuckles)
Kunle Lawal: we just hope for the best, and the citizen too. Because for me too, I don’t normally look at governance, we say okay, government is the only one to blame. I feel, we as Nigerians, we cannot call
Bekeme: (Cuts in) Totally
Kunle Lawal: upon our politicians, our government, then that means we are not ready for what exact we claim will be the change.
Bekeme: Totally. Totally. Because I know for sure we are the ones who put pressure on our politicians. I mean just before I came on the show, I sort support from corporate organization for our women initiative, and one you know, one of the major challenges that they have, you know, you take office, ad you know, all your relatives, all your village members call or your parents, and say, you must do XYZ for me. You should be able to sponsor my even because you come from my village. And there is this pressure and there is even more. This is a corporate organization. Imagine a political aspirant, everybody says, you are a governor, and so, I shouldn’t suffer because I have known you since childhood. So, these are some of the challenges that we face.
So, guys, it’s just 10 minutes more, the number to call is 0700-923-923-923. Again, it’s 0700-923-923-923.
So, before I ask you my next question, the reason why I asked that question is, things like funding for INEC should have been received one year before, would you say, do you know whether INEC has received funding to start this process?
Kunle Lawal: You know, the electoral act now state INEC should receive funding a year before
Bekeme: (Cuts in) That is what I just said. Yes
Kunle Lawal: before, you know, the elections
Bekeme: Hmmm. Have they received now? It’s one year, isn’t it?
Kunle Lawal: (Voice becomes inaudible) Signed into law, it means the federal government would have to cut out a supplementary budget for INEC almost immediately.
Bekeme: Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: So, INEC can be prepared. Start preparation, immediately. So, it is no more business as usual, that you would decide to fund INEC when they finish crying, when the feel like.
Bekeme: Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: You know, INEC has funds to go into an election, (voice becomes inaudible). INEC needs to get it 3 or 4 months before. So, even if they get it 11 months, in this case for 10 months, it’s far better than what it was before.
Bekeme: Right, so they haven’t gotten it. I guess that is another action point for Nigerians. Instead of focusing on people who are dancing at work, I think this is the opportunity to put social media towards pushing for INEC to receive the appropriate funding that they need to action its deliverables before the elections. An important aspect of our governance challenges, Kunle is, most people look towards the very top for issues to be solved. Most people have a problem, and they say, the president or my governor, they don’t look toward local government. They don’t look towards the legislative houses and all. So, could you just help our listeners to understand how this political position affect the day to day lives? So, people can really understand and utilise platform that they have to get them to work
Kunle Lawal: Okay, I will start from the beginning, the smallest unit is the ward
Bekeme: Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: In charge of the ward is the councilor
Bekeme: Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: Now 10,11, 12. 13 wards makes up a local government. The wards are councilors. Now, councilors are like the national assembly of the local government. They are legislative.
Bekeme: Hmmm. Right
Kunle Lawal: They help advise and create law that the local government follows. So, they are the national assembly of the local government. The local government chairman, of course, it’s an executive position, who of course executes and deliver governance to the people after the laws have been created by the councilors
Bekeme: Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: Now, I must say this, local government and the councilors do not have immunity for the singular reason, they are the handshake of democracy to the people, and they can be accountable in
Bekeme: (Cuts in) Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: So, they don’t have immunity.
Bekeme: Right
Kunle Lawal: All of the world.
Bekeme: (Cuts in) Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: They don’t have immunity. When you go up to state house assembly, who of course makes the laws within the state. They are the national assembly within the state. They are the legislative arm, and then you have the government. The government of course, is executive oversight
Bekeme: Hmmm hmmm
Kunle Lawal: of powers within the state. Then we have the national assembly. The national assembly is power smith. Oversight of the assembly, of creating bills and amending bills. Those are their two foremost functions
Bekeme: Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: Let me state at this point, constituency projects are not in our constitution.
Bekeme: Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: So, they are anomaly stated just to give the legislative an executive position.
Bekeme: Yes
Kunle Lawal: which is why most of the time, they seem to forget the laws that they are to make. And then, the office of the president (Bekeme laughs) and the vice president. Both of them are the supreme executive positions in Nigeria. But I will say something. We are so drafted in blaming the president on almost everything.
Bekeme: Yes
Kunle Lawal: Look at government, let’s say water. So, let’s look at the president as the ocean
Bekeme: Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: You won’t just, if you’re hungry today, you won’t just jump in today and go and get fish.
Bekeme: Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: You will only do that if you want to market it. The first thing you’d go to a street behind you. A pond behind you. Maybe your streets to get to water
Bekeme: Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: (Voice becomes inaudible) or whatever. That’s the local government.
Bekeme: Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: That stream, and pond is the local government. When you want to fish on landscape
Bekeme: (Cuts in) Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: Or draw water for a bag on a larger scale, you go to river, which are our local (Voice becomes inaudible), the state government. But, the ocean, the president, is not something that should even come to you (voice becomes inaudible). Most even don’t, they just call their chairman honourable and they get to do nothing.
Bekeme: Yes. So, because we have a couple of minutes left, real quick, can you tell us how you can access and hold our local councilors and local government chairperson accountable if they did something wrong that they didn’t like, how do you go about seeking redress?
Kunle Lawal: So, you have two ways. One, the FR Act means that if you live within
Bekeme: (Cuts in) F what act?
Kunle Lawal: You have the right. The Freedom of Information Act
Bekeme: Okay. FOI
Kunle Lawal: It allows you know, FOI, Freedom of Information
Bekeme: Yes. Yes
Kunle Lawal: It allows know you know what is going on in any place. You can retrieve information before time. Hope you know with the new amendment, local government are now autonomous
Bekeme: Yes
Kunle Lawal: Which means the allocation will come directly to the local government
Bekeme: Yes
Kunle Lawal: It doesn’t pass through any state government
Bekeme: Hmm Hmm
Kunle Lawal: So, at this point, you can ask your local government chairman, what is being done. And if he does not react to what is being done, a local government chairman, remember I said earlier, he is not immune. He can be sued to court.
Bekeme: Wow
Kunle Lawal: And he will go to jail
Bekeme: Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: Because they have no immunity.
Bekeme: Hmmm
Kunle Lawal: Councilors and local government, and the set like that, so there is efficiency at the smallest level
Bekeme: Hmmmm. That is amazing. So, I am going to my local government area. I will go to Eti-Osa. Look at their budget. Look at things that should be done, and whether there are actions. I think those are little steps that we can take as good Citizens of our great Nigeria. Thank you so so much Kunle Lawal, for coming on The Good Citizen Show today
Kunle Lawal: Yeah. Pleasure
Bekeme: There is never enough time to drink of your fount of knowledge, but I am sure you will come back another time. Thank you so much joining us
Kunle Lawal: Thank you
Bekeme: You have a great great day.
Thank you everyone, who has listened to The Good Citizen Show. You have been listening to how you can be part of the electoral process and to guide Nigeria towards governance. We don’t want a Ukrainian situation. We don’t want any of the situation that has happened in the past, that has led to the deterioration of society. And I am urging to take that one little step towards ensuring that Nigeria is great again.
Remember, that light only takes out light. You are the salt of the world. Thank you for joining us. My name is Bekeme, aka, Mummy G. O. You have been listening to The Good Citizen show, and its same time, next week Friday on Inspiration FM 92.3.
Congratulations to the great team at CSR-in-Action. And thank you to ACT Foundation. Have a wonderful, wonderful weekend. Bye Bye.
