Kingsley Moghalu, 2019 presidential candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), has called for electoral reforms in Nigeria.
He said this would strengthen democracy and drive economic development.
The former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), also called for the commencement of process that will make diaspora voting a reality.
Moghalu stated these in his Democracy Day message on Friday.
He insisted that for democracy to have real meaning, Nigeria’s electoral framework and system should be comprehensively reformed to become transparent.
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Moghalu called for a reflection on whether or not 21 years of democracy have yielded for the average Nigerian, the benefits hoped for, when the military handed over.
“We have civilian governance but are we really a democracy in the sense of government for the people, of the people and by the people? We hold elections every four years but are elections truly an expression of the will of Nigerians?”, he asked.
“We have democratic institutions of government but is there really true separation of powers between these institutions? Have elections brought the desired economic development and progress to Nigerians?,” the finance expert quipped further.
The former CBN official stressed that voting processes such as voter registration and voting participation need to be opened up, including to Nigerians in the diaspora.
He said the democratic governance in Nigeria needs to take millions of Nigerians out of poverty through the election of competent governments at all levels – federal, state and local governments.
Moghlau added that such outcomes can only happen through improved electoral choices in terms of candidates with the competence and capacity to address Nigeria’s urgent needs.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK