ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Renowned as a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, has voiced the need for a crucial revision to the Nigerian Constitution and electoral regulations.
Chidoka’s proposition involves stipulating that any individual vying for the position of President must obtain more than 50 per cent of the total votes cast during the election, without which they would be deemed unsuitable for office.
Chidoka’s association with PDP presidential nominee Atiku Abubakar and his role within the party’s Presidential Campaign Council during the 25 February, 2023 poll has lent weight to his views, as he shared them during a segment on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
In a bid to address the issue of presidential candidates who fall short of securing over half of the total votes, Chidoka suggested the implementation of runoff elections for such cases. His assertion was that candidates unable to garner the mandated 50 per cent threshold should participate in a secondary election to ensure that the eventual President possesses mass legitimacy.
Chidoka specifically highlighted the predicament faced by President Bola Tinubu, the former presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), who secured a notable but insufficient number of votes.
He contended that this limited electoral support has impeded Tinubu’s ability to enact substantial policies such as the removal of petrol subsidies and the unification of foreign exchange windows.
Pointing to the public’s reaction to critical issues like the situation in Niger and the fuel subsidy, Chidoka underscored the importance of mass legitimacy in pursuing significant policy agendas. This led him to emphasize the need for legal adjustments, advocating for a constitutional amendment that mandates a runoff election if a presidential candidate fails to achieve the required 50 percent plus 1 of the votes.
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Chidoka’s stance extended to his endorsement of initiatives like the elimination of petrol subsidies and the introduction of a floating naira exchange rate. However, he also cautioned that these policies should be devised with careful consideration to prevent undesirable consequences such as surging food prices and elevated transportation costs.
The former Minister also critiqued President Tinubu’s approach to decision-making, asserting that he should have taken more time to form his cabinet and consult with its members prior to implementing pivotal measures. Chidoka expressed reservations about the current cabinet lineup, expressing uncertainty about their ability to offer more sound advice than what has been presented thus far.
Analyzing the outcome of the February poll, Chidoka detailed that despite prevailing in 12 out of Nigeria’s 36 states, President Tinubu managed to amass the highest number of votes, totaling 8,794,726 out of the 24,025,940 total votes cast. In comparison, Atiku Abubakar secured 6,984,520 votes and the Labour Party’s Peter Obi garnered 6,101,533 votes, marking a remarkable engagement with young voters. Additionally, Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party clinched victory in Kano State with 1,496,687 votes.
According to Section 134 of the Nigerian Constitution, a winning presidential candidate must have a majority of votes cast in the election, while also obtaining no less than one-quarter of votes in at least two-thirds of all states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Subsection 3 of the same section dictates that in the absence of a duly elected candidate in line with subsection 2, a second election shall be conducted.