Off-Cycle Guber Poll And Nigeria’s Future

Once Again, The Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) Fails To Inspire Confidence In The Country’s Electoral Process With The Controversies Trailing The November 11 Governorship Election In Bayelsa, Imo And Kogi States, Writes Onyekachi Eze.

Yiaga Africa, one of the accredited election monitoring civil society organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria, at its post-election re- port of the November 11 off-cycle governorship in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states, said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) missed an opportunity to rebuild citizens’ trust in Nigeria’s electoral process. Samson Itodo, Yiaga’s executive director, at a press conference last Monday, said “These off-cycle elections were to test the commitment of key democratic institutions such as INEC, security agencies and the executive, to restore public confidence in the electoral process.

“Yiaga Africa is concerned about the continuous decline in the quality of our elections and the pen- chant to lower the integrity standards of our elections irrespective of reforms introduced by INEC and progress made in reforming our election legal framework. “The November 11 elections were another missed opportunity to rebuild trust and confidence in the electoral process. “The elections question the commitment of democratic institutions such as INEC, political parties and other state institutions to electoral integrity and credible elections.

“The elections in Kogi and Imo reaffirm the lack of commitment to democratic principles and credible elections on the part of electoral stakeholders. “The zero-sum attitude to electoral politics undermines electoral integrity and citizens’ right to elect leaders.” The 2023 general elections held a lot of hopes for Nigerians because of the belief that the use technology would be a determinant factor in choosing the nation’s new leaders.

Itodo’s Yiaga Africa, in anticipation of this, organised a four-day musical concert in Abuja and Lagos, to sensitise Nigerians who were 18 years and above since the previous continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise, and those who have not registered before, to register and participate in the 2023 general elections. The target was mainly youths and university students. The group also launched the Youth Vote Count campaign to promote positive behavioural attitudes among youths to election.

The election was considered huge disappointment by Nigerians, but they looked forward to the November 11 off-cycle governorship election to right the wrong and restore the confidence of Nigerians in the nation’s electoral process. Unfortunately, the election was reportedly fraught with irregularities. Election Analysis Centre (EAC), an arm of Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) said the election was marred by violence, vote buying and late arrival of election materials.

Chair of the organisation Prof. Adele Jinadu, also said CDD election monitors observed low voter turnout in the various polling units in Imo State, which he attributed to fear of attack by eligible voters. Despite the low turnout and insecurity however, huge figures were declared in the three states as number of electorate who voted in the election.

In Imo State, Governor Hope Uzodinma, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who was declared winner, secured over 540,000 votes, while his closest rival, Senator Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), came a distance second with paltry 71, 000 and some votes. Uzodinma won in all the 27 local government areas of the state, leaving none for any of his challengers. In Bayelsa, what appeared to be an electoral contest played out.

PDP candidate Douye Diri polled a total of 175, 196 votes, to defeat the APC candidate, Timpre Sylva who got 115, 262 votes. Diri won in six out of eight local government areas of the state leaving two for Sylva. Usman Ododo of APC won the Kogi governorship with 446,237 votes to beat Murtala Ajaka of Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the second position, with 259,052 votes.

Ododo also won in 13 out of 21 local government areas with Ajaka winning eight. The result in Imo State elicited reactions. Itodo questioned its transparency, alleging that there were several polling units across different local government areas in the state where election did not hold. This, according to him, include nine polling units in Orsu, eight in Okigwe, eight in Oru East, seven in Orlu, one polling unit each in Ideato North, Ikeduru, Oru West and Owerri West.

“Yiaga Africa urgently calls on INEC to review and conduct a comprehensive audit of the Imo governorship election results to inspire confidence in the process and its outcome,” he advised. The Labour Party deputy governorship candidate in the Imo State, Tony Nwulu, said the statement by INEC about the total number of accredited voters and total number of votes cast in Imo election confirmed that there was over voting in the election.

Nwulu stated that INEC said 480,000 voters were accredited but 711,000 people allegedly voted. There were also allegations of partisanship and unprofessional misconduct of polling officials. In the earlier hours on the election day, report of pre-filled result sheets in some polling units in Ogori/ Magongo Local Government Area of Kogi State, surfaced. INEC acknowledged receipt of such report, but said its senior officials were investigating the allegation.

The commission later announced suspension of election in the affected wards and fixed a date for refresh poll, “subject to the returning officer’s determination of the application of the margin of lead principle.” This was as well cancelled. Vote buying in Nigeria’s electoral system has graduated from inducing the electorate to compromising electoral officials.

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) Dr. Chima Amadi blamed this on the appointment of partisan individuals as INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs). According to him, “These appointments were made in apparent violation of the provisions of the law and in spite of protestations by many stakeholders over their partisan pasts.

“These included at least a former governorship candidate of a political party; the younger sister of the South East National Vice President of a political party; a former civil servant dismissed from service in a state on account of corruption, and the manager of a hotel belonging to a politician who served as minister at the time of the appointment. “A cursory study of the electoral trends will show that many illegal activities occurred and attempts at disrupting the system occurred in the states where these people were posted to serve.

PDP and other political parties had, before the November 11 governorship, called for the removal of Prof. Sylvia Agu as Imo REC. The party has also protested the confirmation of Etekamba Umoren as REC by the Senate, because his nomination by President Bola Tinubu was a violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended and the Electoral Act, 2022.

But Prof. Agu remained as Imo REC and conducted the governorship election while the Senate, in spite of the protestation, confirmed Umoren as REC. Former head of state Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), last Thursday, called for cleansing the country’s electoral process because corruption in the system is threatening the nation’s democracy. Abubakar who is Chairman of National Peace Committee (NPC), admitted that some citizens colluded with corrupt politicians to perpetuate electoral fraud.

“We have noted that some of the old ways remain and ordinary people continue to collude with corrupt members of society to stall the processes of our elections. “The persistence of the culture of vote- buying, intimidation, voter apathy, among others are disturbing. “The corruption of the process will lead to the emergence of corrupt leaders if we collude with merchants of corruption,” he warned.

The outcome of the November 11 off-cycle election portends danger to future elections in Nigeria. It was an indication of disregard to the right of the electorate to freely choose their leaders. Unfortunately, the judiciary which is expected to right the wrong, does not inspire trust. Resort to technicalities rather than the constitutional provisions and the Electoral Act, is witnessed in most judgements delivered in the ongoing petitions against the outcome of the 2023 general elections before the various tribunals and appeal panels.

This emboldened perpetrators of electoral fraud in the November 11 off-cycle governorship election. INEC at the moment, appears incapacitated. The appointment of partisan persons as National Commissioners and as REC by the executive has rendered the commission vulnerable to interference. And until appointment of election officials is taken away from the executive arm and handed over to an independent body, Nigeria will continue to witness election heists.

The call for electronic voting and electronic collation of result is needed at no other time than now. This will put to rest election violence, voting buying and manipulation of results. And this has to be done before the 2027 general elections, otherwise, the worse form of election awaits the country.