Femi Falana Accuses Opposition Parties of Abandoning Their Role in National Assembly

Introduction

Renowned human rights lawyer Femi Falana has expressed concerns over the perceived alignment of opposition parties, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the National Assembly.

Falana believes that the opposition has abandoned its role, leading to a lack of ideological diversity in the legislative body.

This perspective was shared during Falana’s appearance on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily.

Opposition Parties in Alliance

According to Femi Falana, the absence of a strong opposition voice in the National Assembly has resulted in a de facto alliance between opposition parties, including the PDP, and the APC. He notes that the few dissenting voices in the Senate predominantly belong to members of the ruling party, illustrating the apparent shift in political dynamics.

Critique of Resident Electoral Commissioner Appointments

In addition to his concerns about the state of the opposition, Femi Falana criticized the government’s appointment of partisan individuals as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He took issue with the appointments made by the President Bola Tinubu-led government, which included individuals who are card-carrying members of political parties.

Call for Open Application Process

Falana argued that the appointment of RECs should follow a more transparent and unbiased process.

He suggested that the role of Resident Electoral Commissioners should be open for application, rather than relying on partisan appointments. This move, in his view, would contribute to a fair and impartial electoral process.

Legal Challenge to Appointments

It is worth noting that the Nigerian Senate recently confirmed the appointment of 10 nominees for the position of Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) as submitted by President Bola Tinubu.

However, this confirmation has faced legal challenges from organizations such as the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the PDP.

These legal actions question the partisan nature of the appointments and seek to address the issue in the judicial system.