By Musa Baba Adamu
Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Smart Adeyemi said the rejection of Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act after President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for it to be amended was in fairness to Nigerians and the democratic growth of the country.
Smart spoke to journalists on the outcome of the rejection of the request by Buhari for the parliament to amend the section to pave way for political office holders to serve as delegates and to also contest elections.
The section provides for political appointees to resign from office if they so wish to contest election into political offices.
But reacting differently in a media interview with journalists, Senator Adeyemi explained that it would be unfair and also an injustice for political appointees to go the field with an ordinary citizen to contest the election because of the advantage of office an appointee already has, insisting that fairness demands that all contestants should have a level playing field.
“Mind you, we are talking about politics in a democratic system. Now, if you are holding on to executive power, and you want them to go to the same field with people who do not hold executive power, is there justice and fairness?
“Don’t forget that because of lack of gainful employment of where people can make their livelihood, the unfortunate thing today is that many people who are compelled, maybe due to failure of the system or of the people in politics or problem due to economic recession, people now see politics as a profession.
“Politics must not be a profession. So, if somebody is holding on as an executive member at whatever level the person is, and he is still telling you to allow him to have access to voting, who dictates the tune? The man who dictates the tune tells you what to sing.
“Somebody who has not worked anywhere, though not of his making, who probably out of frustration and no job, decides to go into politics, whatever his paymaster tells him is what he is going to do. So, ab initio he is already compromised,” he said.
The lawmaker further explained that the electorate is becoming wiser by the day and would ask questions about any candidate, hence, political parties should be careful about who should be their candidate
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