ORETTE PROPAGATES DEMOCRATIC IDEALS

ORETTE PROPAGATES DEMOCRATIC IDEALS

• SAYS NDC PRIMARY ELECTION PROCESS BECOMING ANALOGOUS TO OPERATIONS OF A CULT
• CALLS PARTY PRESS CONFERENCE A SHOW OF ARROGANCE, CONFUSION, CONTEMPT FOR THE NIGERIAN PEOPLE

Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate in Delta South, Dr. Austin Orette took a bold step Saturday in Owhelogbo, headquarters of Isoko North Local Government Area, when he propagated the ideals of democracy.

‘’In every functioning democracy, political parties exist to serve the people. In Nigeria, some party leaders have unfortunately come to believe that party members exist to serve them. That mindset is dangerous. The secrecy surrounding the primary election process is increasingly becoming analogous to the operations of a cult rather than the conduct of a democratic institution. Democracy thrives on openness. Democracy thrives on accountability. Democracy thrives on trust. Secrecy destroys all three’’.

He also frowned at the recent press conference of the party’s national leadership.

‘’I watched the recent NDC press conference with disbelief and profound disappointment. What I witnessed was not leadership. It was not transparency. It was not democracy. It was a show of arrogance, confusion, and contempt for the Nigerian people’’.

Orette in a message to party faithful noted that after conducting its primary elections, the NDC leadership has failed to release the results.

‘’Instead of providing answers to anxious aspirants and party faithful, the party leadership chose to organize a press conference to justify further delays and introduce yet another bureaucratic obstacle. We were told that candidates who emerge victorious must first sign affidavits pledging not to defect from the party. What an astonishing display of political absurdity. The obvious question is: if the primary elections have truly been concluded, why have the results not been released? Why should candidates who do not even know whether they have won election be required to sign affidavits before results are announced?

He described the explanation offered by the party’s national leadership as a convenient justification for secrecy, manipulation, and control.

‘’The explanation offered by the party leadership is that they fear candidates may defect after securing nominations. This excuse is neither convincing nor constitutional. It is merely a convenient justification for secrecy, manipulation, and control. How can a political party demand loyalty from individuals when the party itself has failed to demonstrate loyalty to its members?

The Texas-based family medicine physician said an affidavit cannot manufacture loyalty.

‘’An affidavit cannot inspire commitment. Affidavit cannot replace trust. Most importantly, an affidavit cannot override the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Constitution is clear. Section 40: Freedom of Association. Section 40 guarantees every Nigerian citizen the right to freely associate with others, including the right to join or belong to a political party of his or her choice. This freedom necessarily includes the freedom not to associate. No political party has the constitutional authority to imprison candidates within its structure through affidavits, undertakings, or coercive arrangements.

According to him, any law, contract, agreement, affidavit, party constitution, undertaking, or political arrangement that is inconsistent with the Constitution is null and void to the extent of its inconsistency.

‘’The Constitution is the supreme law of Nigeria. Any law, contract, agreement, affidavit, party constitution, undertaking, or political arrangement that is inconsistent with the Constitution is null and void to the extent of its inconsistency. Therefore, any affidavit that seeks to remove or restrict a citizen’s constitutional freedom of association is constitutionally defective and legally unenforceable. The Constitution already provides consequences for legislative defections. Members of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly who defect under certain circumstances may lose their seats, subject to constitutional exceptions. The Constitution has already spoken on the issue. Political parties cannot create additional constitutional penalties beyond those recognized by the Constitution itself. Furthermore, the Constitution does not generally provide for the automatic removal of governors, deputy governors, presidents, vice-presidents, or many executive office holders merely because they change political parties. A political party cannot create constitutional disabilities through a private affidavit. The Constitution remains superior to every party constitution and every political agreement’’.

Orette stated that what the NDC should have done as a party was to provide answers to basic questions.

‘’What should have been a press conference dedicated to announcing primary election results became an embarrassing exercise in political paternalism. Instead of transparency, Nigerians were treated to lectures. Instead of accountability, we were given excuses. Instead of results, we were given affidavits. The refusal to release election results while simultaneously demanding affidavits raises legitimate concerns about manipulation and control. Nigerians are entitled to ask difficult questions, and party leaders have a duty to provide answers’’.

He accused the party’s national leaders of imposition and coercion.

‘’Let us be honest. This entire exercise appears less about preventing defections and more about controlling candidates. It reflects a leadership class that lacks confidence in its ability to persuade people through ideas, vision, and competence. Unable to inspire loyalty, they seek to impose it. Unable to earn trust, they attempt to enforce it. Unable to convince, they resort to coercion. This is political paternalism at its worst’’.

He said the move would enable the party to enslave elected officials.

The underlying message is clear: “We do not trust candidates to make their own decisions, so we will bind them with affidavits. Such thinking has no place in a modern democracy. If NDC were a private business, shareholders would demand a complete overhaul of its management. Leaders who fail to understand their products, their market, and their customers are eventually punished by the marketplace. In politics, the marketplace is the electorate. And the electorate always delivers its verdict.

The Nigerian political figure urged the party’s national leaders to release the primary election results

‘’The press conference was a charade. The NDC leadership knows the right thing to do. The right thing is simple: Release the primary election results. Respect the Constitution. Respect party members. Respect democratic principles. Respect the Nigerian people. Political parties are not supreme. Party leaders are not supreme. Godfathers are not supreme. The Constitution is supreme. The Nigerian citizen is supreme. Any attempt to subordinate constitutional rights to party interests is not merely wrong; it is fundamentally undemocratic. NDC paternalism must stop. The era of secrecy must end. The era of impunity must end. The Nigerian people deserve better’’.