Politics should not be full-time career, says APGA chairman

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The All Progressives Grand Alliance says politics should not be a full-time career, arguing that professionals outside government are more likely to promote accountable governance.

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APGA National Chairman, Sly Ezeokenwa, stated this during a media interaction on Thursday in Lagos while outlining the party’s philosophy and leadership approach.

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Ezeokenwa said the party encouraged officials to maintain professional careers outside politics to discourage corruption and the monetisation of political processes.

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According to him, the party’s philosophy, championed by its national leader, promotes productive engagement among members and discourages dependency on political office.

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“In APGA, we try to develop a model of politics that recognises that politics is not a business.

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“People should build careers, and if you are a party officer, you should maintain meaningful professional engagement.

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“If you are not productively engaged, that is what leads to vices such as trading nomination platforms for money.

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“Even as national chairman, I still go to court because election petitions are part of my professional practice,” Ezeokenwa said.

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Addressing debates on the Electoral Act, he said legislation was enacted collectively by lawmakers and should not be blamed on a single political party.

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He noted that criticism directed at one party ignored the legislative process in a democratic system.

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“If the National Assembly enacts a law, you don’t need to say ‘I opposed it’ or ‘I supported it.’

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“Like we always say in democracy, the minority will have their say, but the majority will have their way.

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“It is not an act of APC members of the National Assembly; it is an act of the National Assembly.

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“Once the president assents to it, it becomes a law binding on all citizens,” Ezeokenwa said.

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He also addressed controversies surrounding electronic transmission of results during the 2023 presidential election.

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Ezeokenwa argued that many critics lacked a proper understanding of the electoral process.

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“Most of the people who talked about transmission of results know little or nothing about the electoral process,” he said.

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He explained that electronic transmission was introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission to enhance transparency and voter confidence.

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“The presiding officer scans the result sheet and uploads it to the INEC Result Viewing Portal.

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“The essence is simply for Nigerians anywhere to log onto the portal and view results in real time,” he said.

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Ezeokenwa maintained that election outcomes are determined by documented polling unit results and evidence presented before tribunals.

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According to him, claims of irregularities must be supported with alternative result sheets from party agents.

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“If you want to determine whether an election was rigged, the primary document is the certified true copy of the result.

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“Till date, nobody has produced an alternative result sheet; the only thing I hear is that INEC breached its guideline.

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“If they breached their guideline, have you brought an alternative result to show the declared results are different?” he queried.

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Ezeokenwa also criticised confusion between electronic transmission of results and the collation process.

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“People confuse transmission of results to the portal with collation; they are different things.

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“Electronic transmission simply means scanning the result and sending it to the viewing portal.

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“The law recognises that results are physically delivered by the presiding officer to the collation officer,” he said.

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He said the ongoing debate highlighted the need for greater public understanding of Nigeria’s electoral system ahead of future elections, including the 2027 presidential poll. (NAN)

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