Groups dismiss ethnicity as yardstick for polls, caution INEC not to disenfranchise Nigerians

A GROUP, “Nigeria For Change” (NFC), a non-governmental and non-partisan organization has debunked ethnicity as a yardstick in the determination of the likely outcome in the forthcoming presidential and governorship elections.

In a communiqué signed by the National Secretary of the organization, Mr. John Izuchukwu, the group after a workshop in the office conference hall of its Grand Patron, Sen. Lakan Balogun in Ibadan, Oyo State, stated that ethnicity will no longer be a yardstick to determine the sway of elections in Nigeria and indeed the forthcoming general elections. 

  The National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Abidoun Adeniji who said that the group took this position based on  a survey of opinion polls it carried out on eligible PVC carrying electorates across the 36 states of the federation including the federal capital territory. 

  Mr. Adeniji explained that it became necessary to conduct the survey in order to discountenance primordial sentiments and prejudices away from Nigeria’s fledging democracy to foster National Unity and integrate social welfarism and economic development in the country. 

   He emphasized that the survey clarifies the fact that Nigerians have greatly moved away from this vice of ethnicity that bedeviled the nation and kept us back for over three decades.

He noted that the voters awareness for presidential elections increased from 15% in 2007 to 33% in the 2011 general elections with 10% coming from party members and 23% from what used to be the alienated public in 2015 according to the data of registered eligible voters released by INEC, that percentage now stands at about 58%. 

  Another indices used in the survey was the content in the campaign messages. The NFC Coordinator said that the voters’ apathy has reduced drastically with more of the Nigerian electorates clamouring for relevant issue-based campaign away from a campaign of sentiments and blackmail.

  An increased youths’ involvement is also recorded in the survey showing 70% being the percentage of all registered voters between 18-40 years old. Mr. Abiodun also highlighted on reasons of choice of a candidate or political party as fundamental indices which the survey considered in its research and findings; making it known that over 65% of the electorates are aware of reasons for their choice, while 35% are indifferent.

  However, the results of the opinion polls in the 2015 elections reveal only two of the 14 political parties vying for elections into the offices of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with the All Progressive Congress (APC) represented by Gen. Mohammadu Buhari pulling 41% of the votes cast and the People Democratic Party (PDP) represented by the incumbent president Dr. Goodluck Jonathan pulling 48% of total votes cast while 11% were for others.

   For the gubernatorial elections the opinion polls in the group’s communiqué are Lagos State where APC’s Akinwunmi Ambode scoring 39% and PDP’s Jimi Agbaje scoring 44%, while 17% stood or others. For Ogun State APC’s Sen. Ibikunle Amosun scored 31%, PDP’s Gboyega Nasir Isiaka scored 37%, SDP’s Sen. Akin Odunsi scored 26% while 6% stood for others. For Oyo State, APC’s Abiola Ajimobi scored 23%, PDP’s Teslim Folarin scored 29%, Accord Party’s Senator Rasheed Ladoja scored 25%, Labour’s Alao-Akala scored 18% and SDP’s Seyi Makinde scored 5% while 2% are indifferent.

   In conclusion the National Coordinator of the NFC, Mr. Abiodun Adeniji called on Nigerian to continue to shun sentiments that are not relevant issues for development; saying that the survey is a proof that Nigeria is moving in the right direction. He also asked Nigerian youths to shun any act or form of electoral violence during and after the elections.

   Meanwhile, at another workshop with the theme, “Our right to vote and good governance,” organized by a different group, the “Participation Train for developmental initiatives” which held at at Ota, Ogun State, the guest speaker and legal counsel to the group, Mr. Bola Owosho called on Professor Attahiru Jega and INEC not to disenfranchise Nigerians.  

  He stated that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was playing hoaxes with elections in Nigeria. 

  Explaining, Mr. Bola Owosho said that the right of a citizen to vote is a constitutional provision and INEC being empowered by the constitution must respect that right of a citizen to participate in elections by voting or being voted for.

   INEC is charged by constitution to be an unbiased arbiter that should carry out pre-election responsibilities for free; fair and credible elections, but I have observed that this commission (INEC) has resorted to operations aimed at reducing the number of electorate eligible to vote, in order to be able to manage these elections.

   He further explained that, how can a body (INEC) whose constitutional responsibility it is to embark on a voter’s registration exercise, fail to do so in-spite of the preceding number of years before any election in the country is held, come out three months before election day to give ultimatum or deadline to citizens for the completion of this very important exercise, it is outrageous and completely unacceptable.

  Mr. Owosho, who said he received a temporary voters’ card before the 2011 General Elections is yet to have the permanent voters’ card without which INEC says, he cannot exercise franchise.

  This is three years after and we have barely two months before the next General Elections in 2015, so you see that I am curious to ask why INEC should wait until the last days to elections before embarking on an exercise which ought to be ongoing and continuous, in order to decongest the process and allow more participants in the elections, knowing also that besides those of us who have not revalidated the temporary cards, there are those in hundreds of thousands who just crossed the eligible age of eighteen years and those who would, by February 2015. What is the rational for a P.V.C. when INEC have displayed an absolute inefficiency at providing such a service and millions of Nigerians are being disenfranchised.

  Also speaking at the workshop barrister Frank said that the exercise of franchise is a very critical indices for any democracy and good governance. Citing the concluded Ekiti and Osun State gubernatorial elections, Barrister Frank explained that he was able to put his finger on the hoax.