Nigeria Withdraws MOWCA Membership over Electoral Malpractice

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria has withdrawn its membership from the Maritime Organization for West and Central Africa (MOWCA) over alleged electoral malpractice from the body.

In a press release, the Director of Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Transportation, Mr Eric Orjiekwe, disclosed that the development was a result of “gang-up” and breach of the constitution by member countries against the election of the Nigerian candidate and Director, Maritime Services of the ministry, Mr Paul Adaliku.

The ministry claimed electoral fraud by member states on the election of the Secretary-General of the maritime body in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to the statement, Mr Adaliku was the only candidate within the constitutional age bracket of 55 years and threw their weight behind other candidates from Guinea and Benin that were 60 and 62 years respectively.

Nigeria is the highest financier of the body and due to its withdrawal, no Nigerian is a staff or executive member of MOWCA.

The statement pointed out that despite the huge resources committed into the body by the country, it was met with apparent disregard for the Rules of Election Procedure regarding the eligibility of candidates nominated for the position of the Secretary-General of the organization.

It said this leaves the country with no option but to exit the body.

The statement reads in parts: “It is sad, and most depressing given Nigeria’s ardent and consistent support for MOWCA and its activities, that Nigeria as a nation must take a stand against the promotion of illegality, disrespect for the rule of law and contravention of the rules regarding the election of the Secretary-General of MOWCA

“Nigeria draws the attention of the General Assembly to the comment of MOWCA as presented by MOWCA secretariat in the annotated Agenda circulated this week to the Committee of Experts meeting, which confirmed that Nigeria is the only country that met the age eligibility criteria requirement that candidates must not exceed 55 years.

“The candidate nominated by Nigeria was 55 years as at when nominations closed in 2020 while the candidates of Guinea was 60 years old and that of Benin was 62  years old.”

The statement pointed out that the Nigerian candidate and Director, Maritime Services, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Mr Adaliku was the only eligible candidate and should have been declared unopposed.

Still expressing its displeasure, the statement continued, “The apparent willingness of some member States to consider for elections candidates who knowingly contravened the age criteria having exceeded the maximum age limit by more than 5 years in the case of Guinea and 7 years by Benin, does not portend well for the reputation and operation of MOWCA as a rule-based organization”.

The statement further pointed out that no member state has supported MOWCA as much as Nigeria, as the records show, she has contributed over $5 million in the past 10 years with the organisation not employing a single Nigerian.

“It should be noted that not a single citizen of Nigeria has ever been employed in MOWCA and that this is the first time that Nigeria has contested for the position of the Secretary-General of the organization even though it is an uncontested fact that it is essentially the contributions of Nigeria that has sustained the organization over the years,” it said.