NIGERIA’S electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has always been in the eye of the storm especially whenever general elections are around the corner. The body has always had challenges in preparation for general elections, which it needs to address to give Nigerians confidence and assurance that it is truly an unbiased umpire.
With the return of democratic governance in 1999, the INEC has conducted four general elections. None of these elections were free from electoral irregularities and manipulations that has always made Nigerians to lose more confidence in INEC’s ability to ever conduct a credible polls. Most times, the failure of INEC to conduct a free and fair election is attributed to the failure of the Commission’s leadership to do the needful. That has been the trend.
After the 2007 general elections conducted by INEC under the leadership of its national chairman, Prof. Maurice Iwu, a lot of criticism and controversy like never before trailed the outcome. Even the then president of the country, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who was one of the greatest beneficiaries of the exercise admitted that the process was faulty.
With the expiration of Iwu’s tenure in June 2010, there were stiff and wild oppositions against his reappointment for a second term in office. Then began the search for Iwu’s successor at a time the country was in a political logjam following the sudden demise of President Yar’Adua in office.
The search was shrouded in secrecy then because President Jonathan was looking for a man with a track record for the job.
At last, the lot fell on Prof. Attahiru Jega, the Kebbi state-born academic to pilot the affairs of INEC as Iwu’s successor. Jega’s appointment was allegedly facilitated by one of the power brokers from the North in the Presidency. The choice of Jega was applauded by Nigerians and the international community who saw him as a man of high integrity.
The Commission under Jega’s leadership conducted the 2011 general elections. The exercise witnessed some hiccups, but many adjudged it as better than previous ones. With the outcome of the polls and assurances by the INEC leadership, Nigerians looked forward for hitch-free polls in 2015.
Before the 2015 rescheduled polls, the Commission had conducted governorship elections in Edo, Anambra, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states. There were tremendous improvements in the conduct of the elections and the outcomes were commended by majority of Nigerians.
Ahead of the 2015 general polls, the Commission has introduced some innovations which it claimed would guarantee free and fair exercise. The innovations include the use of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), Card Readers and others.
Barely a week to the general elections initially slated for February 14 and 28, less than 50 million eligible voters had collected their PVCs while the rest which were about 20 million plus were unable to collect across the country.
In the face of these obvious lapses and challenges, the Commission had insisted on its preparedness to go ahead with the elections as scheduled, assuring that the rest would receive their PVCs before the initial polls date. Less than two weeks to the polls date, the National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) had while speaking at an event in London called for the shift of the polls citing non-collection of PVCs by voters as his reason.
Dasuki’s call was trailed by condemnations, criticisms and commendations, following INEC’s insistence that it was ready for polls as scheduled. It was from there that the controversy that has continued to trail the now rescheduled polls started.
With INEC’s postponement of the polls citing security concerns as requested and advised by the security chiefs, allegations and counter-allegations against INEC gathered momentum with the PDP and its allies leading the onslaught.
Among the allegations leveled against the Commission’s leadership were favouring a particular section of the country against the other in the distribution of the PVCs, attempt to deny many voters the opportunity to collect their PVCs, alleged connivance with the opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC), to rig PDP out in the presidential poll, failure to make available all the PVCs of the eligible voters across the country, and others.
Jega’s accusers have asked questions why it has been possible for some Northern states witnessing Boko Insurgency to experience high rate of PVCs collection than their southern counterparts that are free from such menace.
Reacting to the allegation, Jega’s spokesman, Mr. Kayode Idowu has challenged the ruling party to substantiate the allegations. Even at that, the Presidency blamed INEC’s non-preparedness for the polls shift, and not insecurity as earlier touted.
Now that the polls have been shifted to March 28 and April 11 and PVCs collection to March 8 by INEC, it has been observed that PVCs collection across the country has improved, while there are still little delays in some few states such as Ogun State and others. Again many PVCs are lying uncollected at several INEC offices across the country, while some voters who are eager to lay their hands on their own are yet to do so in several states.
For some that have collected theirs but relocated to different states or places, their PVCs are as good as useless, because they will not vote on the election day.
INEC has threatened to publish names of those who have failed to collect their PVCs at end of the collection exercise.
Already, some voters across the country are agitating for another extension of the collection date to enable them collect their PVCs. Whether there will be another extension or not lies at the door of INEC.
On the allegation or rumour of another shift of the polls, INEC Chairman Jega while briefing the Senate recently made it very clear that any extension will be illegal looking at the provisions of the law. He, however, said the Commission cannot guarantee that there will be no polls shift because it is not in charge of security.
On the speculation that plans are underway for Jega to be removed before the rescheduled polls, President Jonathan had assured during his recent media chat that there was no such plan. But whether the President’s assurance will be realistic will be known in a matter of days or weeks.
The 2015 polls have generated a lot of political tension, and placed INEC on the front burner like never before. Many Nigerians believe that the success or failure of the polls will not only depend on the security agencies and government, but on the sincerity, impartiality and commitment of Jega and his team.
This is in view of the fact that history is beckoning Jega and his team considering that after the 2015 polls under his leadership, he would have succeeded in breaking record as the first INEC chairman to conduct two successive general elections in the country since independence.
Many are of the belief that this election is one election that its outcome will make or mar Nigeria. It is for this obvious reason that INEC, security agencies, government and Nigerians irrespective of party loyalty, religion, tribe should work together as a people to make the election free, fair and credible.
