I copied this from a friend's wall and I think it is worth reading and useful in writing future constitutions -

Melaye's Recall, The lesson we are not learning

While Mr Dino Melaye and his real and opportunistic friends have a right to rejoice at the failure to successfully recall him, there's a greater collective failure which we have ignored to our peril.

To begin with, I was disinterested in the politics of the recall but I took a historical interest in the melodrama that it became.

The sad reality of the failure itself is that whereas it will take about 73 senators and 260 Rep members to impeach a president, it is practically impossible to impeach an errand legislator.

The writers of the constitution made a redundant law that will continue to be a waste of scarce resources.

In the Kogi West example, there are over 360,000 registered voters. To elect Mr Melaye, only slightly over 42000 voters elected him. In the election, less than 60000 voters participated.

To recall him, the law demands that 51% of 360000 (180000 voters) should sign, and be verified within a day. To register the 360k voters, it took weeks of serious publicity and mobilisation. Before election, there will be about 100 days of campaign but notice was only issued for a few days in this matter.

In Nigeria, turn out for elections has never reached 50% at any time and sometimes, if held in isolation, legislative election could record as low as 5% voters turn out. Why should we then demand 51% of registered voters to recall an errand legislator?

For clearer understanding of the issue, let us go more statistical. Mr Melaye won with 42000 of 360000 which roughly translates to 11.6% of the registered voters. Why should you need 51% to remove him? The sensible thing would have been to say, same minimum of same percentage that elected a legislator should be able to to remove him. More realistically, it should be 51% of the votes cast for the candidate during the election which would have been about 6% of the total registered voters in the case of Mr Melaye.

Something is fundamentally wrong with the constitutional provision and we should really be concerned with it rather than gloat about who is more popular between two adolescents in adult bodies.

I can't understand why it is easier to remove a president than to recall a councillor. What's the wisdom in creating an impossible law? Is it not better to expunge that provision from the constitution since it is impossible to implement the provision?

What do you think?

Cc
Lalasticlala

Nigerian Laws are made for the masses, Nigerian institutions are hardwired to protect the privileged

You'd never get them to do the right thing.

Ok O