The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) said that the implications of President Asiwaju Tinubu sponsoring an Executive Bill to extend the tenure of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who was due to retire in few weeks, by the civil service rules and the Police Act 2020, and the speedy passage of the Bill by both chambers of the National assembly in one day without a public hearing was undemocratic.
According to the Executive Director of RULAAC, Mr Okechukwu Nwanguma, the action was not only undemocratic, but also, “abusive, lacking in transparency, and setting a negative precedent.”
He explained that the passage of the bill without a public hearing was undemocratic and goes against the principles of separation of powers and public participation in governance.
He said the implied that the voices of the people were not heard, and the democratic process is subverted.
He further said: “The speedy and unchallenged passage of the bill raises concerns about abuse of power and violation of due process. The implication is that the President is using his influence to extend the tenure of the current Inspector-General of Police without following due process, which may undermine public trust and confidence in the government.
“The lack of transparency and accountability in the passage of the bill implies that the government does not value the opinions of the people and lacks transparency in its decision-making process.
“The speedy passage of the bill sets a precedent for future Executive Bills to be passed without proper consultation or scrutiny. This may erode the integrity of the legislative process and weaken democratic institutions.”
Nwanguma also argued that the actions of the National Assembly, Senate and House of Representatives, portray them as a parliament that lacks independence and panders to the whims and caprices of the executive arm of government.
“The National Assembly is clearly a weak and ineffective institution incapable of upholding the principles of democracy and checks and balances. It’s a rubber-stamp parliament that merely follows the directives of the president and his political allies. It’s an undemocratic parliament that does not represent the interests of the masses but instead serves the interests of a select few. It undermines the essence of democracy by reducing the voice of the people and placing too much power in the hands of the executive arm of government,” said Nwanguma
