EiE launches guide on how citizens can recall lawmakers

Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria, a civil society organisation, has launched a guide to educate citizens on their constitutional right to recall a legislator who represents them poorly.

Presented in a media chat with journalists on Thursday, in Lagos, the manual titled “The citizen’s guide to the recall process” detailed the constitutional power of citizens to remove members of the legislature before the expiration of their term.

According to ‘Yemi Adamolekun, executive director of EiE Nigeria, one unique feature of a healthy democracy is the check and balance each institution provides.

“For example, the legislature having oversight over the executive has the constitutional power to impeach a president or governor over misconducts. In the same way, a citizen has the constitutional power to recall a non-performing legislator,” she said.

“It is important for citizens to know that they have an avenue to replace their representation at the legislative chambers in between the election cycle.

“Rather than using their constitutional power to recall irresponsible legislators, citizens have taken to violent reactions as seen in recent times where constituents attack their representatives.

“For example, angry youths attacked Joshua Lidani, senator representing Gombe South, on Monday, April 2 and angry constituents also stoned Garba Hamman Julde, lawmaker representing Bali/Gassol federal constituency, Taraba, on Saturday, March 31.

“In the 8th assembly alone, we have recorded at least five attempts by constituents to recall a legislator. Of all these cases, only that of the senator representing Kogi west seems to have scaled the first hurdle of submitting a petition to INEC.

“The recall process which started on June 21, 2017, would have ended September 18, 2017. However, nine months later with several court injunctions, the process is just moving to the second stage of verifying the signatures of the constituents. Our expectation is that the senator will allow the process to be due process to be followed.”

In the words of Itse Sagay, chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, who wrote the foreword to the guide, “The negative conduct of our lawmakers since 1999 has simply been overwhelming. The only control and source of relief left to voters is the ability to recall a gravely erring legislator.”