The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) have commended President Muhammadu Buhari for ordering political office holders who have interest in contesting positions in the 2023 general elections, to resign.
The president during the Federal Executive Council meeting (FEC) on Wednesday ordered the resignation of all political appointees who want to contest in the elections.
In a statement by CISLAC executive director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani on Wednesday, the group commended Buhari “for taking this laudable step and listening to the call of Nigerians towards a free and fair election, following the issuance of his directives that all members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) running for elective office must submit their letters of resignation on or before Monday the 16th of May, 2022.”
According to Rafsanjani, “We hope that this directive takes full effect pending legislation on the Court of Appeal’s decision to void Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act 2022 which made it mandatory for political appointees to resign from office, before they could vote as delegates or vie for any elective position.
“It is worthy of note to mention that this action puts to bed worries of complicity in the impunity with which some political appointees have expressed their political interests ahead of the upcoming general elections in total disregard for the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the sensibilities of Nigerians whose collective resources have been diverted to satisfy personal political ambitions.
“These illegalities have been well condemned by the public and the President’s decision at this time is indeed a welcome one and reflects a responsiveness to the yearnings of the citizenry.
“We also call on all political parties to demonstrate ethical and moral standards that ensure a democratic election and avoid the commercialization and proliferation of money politics which has disqualified patriotic Nigerians from partaking in the elections,” the statement reads.
