Dr Muiz Banire, a lawyer and activist says for Nigeria to operate a truly democratic government, a comprehensive electoral reforms must be put in place.
Banire said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, on Thursday in commemoration of Nigeria’s Democracy Day.
”Frankly speaking I’m not too sure that we have democracy in Nigeria; I have always contended that what we have at best is civil rule.
”What we are practicing is not democracy, democracy is set generally to be where majority interests thrives but can you really say that now?
“Go and look at the statistic of how many people always vote in each election, majority are not voting so how can that represent the interest of the majority to say leaders in the country were democratically elected.
“For me there’s none, let’s say we have civil rule because we don’t have military men in charge so we can describe it as a rule”, he said.
On what could be done to further authenticate the future of the country’s democracy, Banire a former Commissioner for Transportation in Lagos State called for reorientation of the electorate.
“One of the fundamental things that we need to do is to enlighten the populace about the importance of voting, Nigerians still see it as a product or merchandise that you can sell and get money.
“They don’t see the correlation between their lives and the vote and until they start appreciating that a singular vote that they have is their life, we are not heading anywhere.
“Fundamentally that is the first thing to do, alternatively which some people will say is extreme, is to qualify the right to vote, meaning that not everybody should be voting”, he added.
Banire, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), further told NAN that it took developed countries centuries before ascending to the fact that everyone from age 18 had the franchise to vote.
According to him, the fact that you are 18 does not make you entitled to vote, you must have a stake, like I say to people it took America more than 200 years for them to start allowing everyone to vote, our own we just allow everyone to vote.
“Those who don’t know their right from left determine the future of others that’s the challenge.”
On the recent call for a parliamentary system of government, the activist told NAN that he believed in the advocacy for a unicameral system of legislature.
”Nigeria presently operates a bicameral legislature made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
“But I share their position of those advocating for a unicameral system of legislature. We need to totally overhaul.
”I am one of the apostle of parliamentarianism, because what we are practicing in the country now is too expensive and the economy cannot absolve or sustain it.
“That is why the economy is not progressing because of the pressure on it,” he said.
On immortalising Abiola, Banire, said that nothing was too much for someone who paid the supreme prize.
“Not really, when somebody pays the supreme prize it can never be enough, more can still be done,” he said. (NAN
