Veteran politician and former special adviser to former President Shehu Shagari, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, has kicked against the idea and suggestion made by Danmasanin Kano Alhaji Maitama Sule for electoral reform in which all political leaders will step down during the election to avoid rigging.
He said the suggestion made by Maitama Sule in a paper title: “Leadership, Ethics and Morality” presented at Manpower Development Center, Dutse, Jigawa State, where he called for the inclusion of an act that would compel political leaders to relinquish their seat and hand over power to the judiciary for organising and conducting election that could be acceptable to all was not acceptable.
Tanko Yakasai who is also a chieftain of the peoples’ democratic Party (PDP) acknowledged the overwhelming desire for the country to have a means and way for conducting free and fair election, but he vehemently opposed the Danmasani idea, saying that, “it has never worked anywhere in the world”.
Yakasai made this assertion while speaking at the Democracy Day celebration which held at Malam Aminu Kano Freedom Square, Dutse, Jigawa State.
The politician explained that, the only country that ever attempted such an idea and failed was the Republic of Bangladesh.
“When republic of Bangladesh tried such idea of relinquishing power to the judiciary during the election period, instead of conducting the election within three months, the entrusted judiciary stay on in power to more than a year. In fact, the people of the country had to take to street to protest before the election was finally conducted.”
According to him, because Nigeria was still learning its pattern of democratic system, there was therefore the need for people to be patient and persevere before the country reaches maturity age in the system.
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