Demanding PSN to conduct transparent and fair elections
- Target:
- Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN)
- Region:
- Nigeria
- Website:
- www.facebook.com
Some weeks ago we Nigerian pharmacists had the privilege to interact with different candidates vying for elective positions of PSN's national executives, and event scheduled to hold next month in Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria. These events took place on PSN's facebook page.
We were however all shocked to find out today that out of three candidates contesting for the post of the national president, two of them have been summarily disqualified by the Election Committee appointed by the incumbent president of the society. We strongly believe this is an attempt to illegally impose a candidate of a select few on about 15,000 Nigerian pharmacists there are.
The disqualified candidates have satisfied the qualifying requirements to contest for the position of the president as contained within PSN constitution. We the concerned pharmacists therefore believe their disqualification is unfair, illegal and unacceptable.
We maintain that all qualifying candidates should be permitted to contest and the choice of the president should be by the election of Nigerian pharmacists, and not an imposition by the select few who apparently represent interests at variance with the general interest of Nigerian pharmacists.
11th October, 2012
The Election Committee,
Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria,
A demand for fairness and transparency in the upcoming PSN executives elections
It has come to the attention of Nigerian Pharmacists that a list of electoral candidates approved by the Election Committee ("the Committee") of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria ("PSN") for various positions in the national executive council of the society has been so constituted in a way that interested candidates have been summarily and unconstitutionally disqualified by the Committee.
To this end we the Nigerian Pharmacists and legal stakeholders in the affairs of the society hereby write this petition to demand a transparent review of the screening process. Furthermore, it has come to our knowledge that Pharmacists Emeka Ogbonna and Ejiro Foyibo, candidates for the presidential post who though meeting the stipulated requirements of the constitution, have been stripped of their candidacy by the Committee, in a manner that suggests their dismissal may not be unconnected with a desire of certain individuals to make the only approved presidential candidate vie unopposed for the post of the PSN president.
We are aware that the conditions employed in disqualifying the two candidates are not contained within constitution. We earnestly believe that this action of the Committee constitutes an ominous precedence for the profession and an unfortunate design to rob Nigerian pharmacists (present and future) of the right to vote and be voted for.
In clear times, We, the undersigned Nigerian Pharmacists, hereby renounce this undemocratic dealing by the Committee. To this end the we hereby demand a revisit of the candidates screening to be conducted ahead of the society's Annual General Meeting coming up in November, 2012. We also specifically ask the Committee to uphold the constitution in its activities rather than a set of conditions seemingly designed to unfairly frustrate the very principle of democracy in the upcoming elections.
Thank you.
As men of honour we join hands!
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The Demanding PSN to conduct transparent and fair elections petition to Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) was written by Concerned Nigerian Pharmacists and is in the category Miscellaneous at GoPetition.