Human Rights Lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), Has Said That Amending The Electoral Act Without Proper Enforcement Is A Complete Waste Of Time.

Falana Made The Remark On Sunday During An Interview On Arise Television, Monitored By DAILY POST.

According To Him, Nigeria’s Challenge Is Not The Absence Of Laws, But The Unwillingness Of The Political Class To Enforce Existing Ones.

He Noted That Ideology And Quality Representation No Longer Matter In Nigerian Politics, As Politicians Are More Concerned About Personal Gain From Party Defections.

Falana Explained That Elected Officials Freely Abandon The Parties That Brought Them Into Office, Move To New Parties Without Consequences, And That This Trend Poses A Serious Threat To Nigeria’s Democracy.

“We Operate In An Atmosphere Of Reckless Impunity. The Ongoing Amendment Exercise Is Time-Wasting If There Is No Enforcement. We Already Have Very Stiff Penalties For Vote-Buying, Thuggery, And Other Electoral Offences,” He Said.

He Added That The Political Class And Ruling Parties Have Consistently Failed To Deploy Law Enforcement Agencies To Arrest And Prosecute Electoral Offenders.

Falana Further Recalled That As Far Back As 2008, The Wale Panel Recommended The Establishment Of An Electoral Offences Commission To Investigate And Prosecute Offenders, But No Government Has Implemented The Recommendation.

“No Regime, Including Those That Campaigned On Electoral Reforms, Has Deemed It Necessary To Set It Up. So What Is The Big Deal Now?” He Asked.

He Also Criticised Proposals To Increase Campaign Spending Limits, Noting That Existing Limits Are Already Routinely Violated.

“The Only Political Issue That Seems To Matter In Nigeria Today Is The Gale Of Defections, Yet Nobody Is Addressing It, Not Even In The Proposed Amendments,” Falana Said.