Politicians support Wike on ADR

Some politicians on Thursday said that using Alternative Dispute Resolution to settle political conflicts, as suggested by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, will save money and time.
They told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Wednesday that litigation would be expensive and time-consuming.
Wike had last week said that ADR would allow more time for governance, reduce bickering and cost and time spent in tribunal, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
He made the suggestion when the executive members of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators paid him a courtesy call in Port Harcourt last week.
Chief Martin Onovo, the 2015 presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party, said that ADR would be useful in resolving all political conflicts.
Onovo said: “Alternative Dispute Resolution is good for all cases; electoral matters can be resolved through it, instead of legal technicality that can lead to miscarriage of justice.
“I will suggest that it be appropriately established for election disputes; it is a standard practice in Lagos State judiciary.”
Prof. Lai Olorode, a former National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, also told NAN that ADR was a good way of settling political disputes.
He noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission under the leadership of Prof. Attahiru Jega, established an ADR desk which later became a full department.
Olorode said: “Alternative dispute resolution is in tandem with our culture; it is cheap and saves time. It is also convenient.
“The challenge is the political class which covets court drama.’’
Alhaji Yahaya Ndu, the 2003 presidential candidate of African Renaissance Party, said that the governor’s suggestion was welcome.
Ndu said: “However, we should ask ourselves as Nigerians why we have so much electoral disputes.
“Is it as a result of any genuine and patriotic competition to serve our motherland, or is it as a result of competition to position ourselves to loot our resources?
“What we should be talking about is how to ensure that no matter who is elected into any position, opportunities to loot our resources are totally eliminated or at least radically reduced.”