Osun State governor, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola on Wednesday advocated for the full enforcement of what is contained in chapter 2 of the Nigerian constitution.
He added that the chapter which contains access to qualitative education, good housing, political and socio-economic values, employment among others must be made a right rather than social goals to advance to course of democracy in the country.
Oyetola spoke at the Osun NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel Democracy Day lecture titled “Analysing Emerging Trends in Nigeria’s Democratic Journey.”
He said, “Section 4 of the 1999 constitution gives power to legislators, 5 to the executives in various states and the center and 6 to the judiciary. However, we left section 7,8, 9 and the press were given a recognition role in far section 22 of the same constitution which is a terrible thing.”
Oyetola, who was represented by the Head of Service (HoS), Dr. Olowogboyega Oyebade contended that “what we A we must do in defending democracy is to probe into section 22. Section 22 is in chapter 2 which the Supreme Court of Nigeria declared as not justifiable.”
He continued, “what was in chapter 2 with the press roles are the things lawyers and journalists fought for during the military rule to have democracy installed. Provisions in chapter 2 are nothing but social goals not right. We can rest assured that if they are enforced the country will be better for it.”
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Oyetola, however, blamed the development on the drafters of the constitution who won elections after the national level after the June 12 election was annulled.
He emphasised that it should not be assumed that Nigeria’s democracy had failed, adding that at 20 the system of government was at the maturing stage.
Oyetola added that the fundamental Human Rights contained in chapter 4 of the Nigeria constitution has been revised upward by the United Nations as far back as the year 2000, insisting there was a need to update our constitution to meet current trends.
In his submission, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the I Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje who was represented by Venerable Ojewande identified inconclusive elections, vote buying, and electoral violence as the trends in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
He said, “moving the country these trends must be answered. Vote buying is not a new trend and not peculiar to Nigeria but assumed an alarming rate in the recent past elections held in the country. Political parties, politicians, electorate and INEC have a huge role to curtail this.”
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