‘A day for all elections will curb manipulations, waste of funds’

Former chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Peter Ameh, in this interview with ADAMU ABUH, spoke on why opposition parties are advocating that all elections should hold on the same day. He also spoke on their proposals for electoral reform and explained why the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be unbundled before the 2027 general elections.

What informed the clamour by a section of the opposition parties for the conduct of all elections in one day?
There is no doubt that there is need to conduct all elections in one day by amending sections 132 (2), 178 (2), 64 (1) and 105 (1) of the 1999 Constitution to appoint a single date for the conduct of the presidential, gubernatorial, national and state Assembly elections in Nigeria.

Nigeria’s electoral process has faced numerous challenges, including high costs, logistical inefficiencies, and voter’s fatigue. To address these issues, conducting all elections in one day has been proposed. This approach would reduce the financial burden on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the government, promote accountability and transparency, and encourage greater voter turnout.

Consolidating elections into a single day will significantly reduce the overwhelming influence of state actors in suppressing opposition, as being experienced during staggered elections. This is because staggered elections provide more opportunities for state actors to interfere with the electoral process, manipulate results, and intimidate opposition candidates and their supporters. Holding all elections on the same day would significantly reduce the financial burden on INEC and the government. This is because the cost of logistics, personnel, and materials would be incurred only once, rather than spread across multiple election days.

We are also proposing electoral reform because it is essential for democratic consolidation, and to ensure that the will of the people is reflected in the outcome of elections. It will also help to prevent electoral violence, promote transparency and accountability, and enhance the credibility of the electoral process. Campaign finance laws need to be reformed to prevent money politics and ensure that elections are no longer bought by the highest bidder.

Also, it is crucial to unbundle INEC into four distinct units, as recommended by Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais 2008 Electoral Reform Panel and 2011 Justice Lemo Electoral Violence Reports. And we expect these reforms to take place before the 2027 elections.

Notwithstanding your position against staggered elections, do you think the votes will count in the 2027 poll?
There is nowhere in the world where there is no attempt to manipulate the victory of a popular candidate. But as they say, ‘eternal vigilance is the price you pay for freedom’. Look at what happened to Donald Trump. The man said ‘no, I was rigged out’, but this time, he prepared. In each of the polling units, his supporters did three times what they were supposed to do in the last election. We are going to do four times what we would have done.

We would no longer allow manipulations at the collation of centres. Collation is supposed to be a reflection of votes cast at the polling units.

Is this feasible even when it is obvious that the opposition parties are in disarray?
The truth is that a false narrative is trending to create the impression that the opposition is doing nothing. That’s what members of All Progressives Congress (APC) and their allies want unsuspecting Nigerians to believe. But they are worried and jittery that opposition parties are doing so much. Whenever any of the opposition leaders like Peter Obi or another leader make a statement, you find out that there’s so much outrage coming from the ruling party. You can buttress that with what Felix Morka did the last time he appeared on national television.    You can see how APC members have been so scared about the backdoor discussions by opposition leaders. That’s why you find out that they are making every attempt to poison the opposition movement and even plant moles to them in Nigeria. But as much as we know, crises are part of politics and normal human communication.

It is obvious that what the opposition have in terms of comfortable status today, they didn’t even have in 2023. There’s better organisation, better planning, stronger determination, and courage especially when you realise the fact that people are looking up to you to end the palpable hunger in the land, pains Nigerians are going through following the impulsive and irrational decisions and policies of the current administration.

However, unknown to many, the ruling APC itself has been the most unstable political party since this fourth republic started. If you look at them, they run the presidency, and yet could not hold a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to properly appoint their current national chairman who was installed by fiat, which is against the democratic decisions they took. They have never had a convention, and this is to show the level of fear and instability within the rank of the ruling party.

But I assure you that with the discussions and meetings that I have personally attended, the opposition is doing everything to get it right.

The opposition is not enjoying the same environment that was provided for APC in pre-2015 election where there were no disturbances, where they had the right to come together to merge without any form of suppressive tendencies from the government at that time.

So, what we are doing is more logical. And I think that at the end of the day, people will know that the opposition is more formidable and we are more prepared than the ruling party.

You claim the opposition is formidable, how will you explain the gale of defection to the ruling APC?
Those who were elected on the platform of the LP were not known, they rode on Peter Obi’s back. Those who are moving from NNPP or PDP were given the platform to contest the election. I think it’s basically due to lack of principle that these defectors are moving because they lack experience.

If they understood the history of political parties and elections they would have been well guided. They have forgotten that there are aspirants in their new found party waiting for the tickets. You campaigned on the promises that will be different from that party that you have defected to. And the electorates voted for you based on the manifesto of the party you were elected. Go to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) today, these people’s names are still registered in the party that gave them ticket and victory.

That record can never change. But due to lack of experience, and inducements from APC coming to tell them all sorts of things, like if you didn’t decamp, you can’t win the next election because we control the apparatus of the state. I know that at the end of the day, those who have defected will regret their action. There is no doubt that APC is going about scouting for members of the opposition to join them in order to weaken the opposition parties. But as I stated earlier, APC will no longer campaign on the promises of what they are going to do but what they have done. What Nigerians have been experiencing is movement without action, talking more and doing less.

Whatever they are saying would not ring bells in 2027, because there is no country in the world that I have ever seen going through this kind of hardship and economic doldrums with no hope in sight. But those in government are living luxurious lifestyles, and you think they would triumph at the end of the day.

You cannot have an economic policy that is measurable by the private jet the President is using, buying new cars, and renovating their official residence and expect people to be happy with you. This clearly shows lack of priority to the welfare of the people.

What do you make of the view that it will be difficult for President Bola Tinubu to lose election in 2027 because of how he survived all odds against him in the build up to the 2023 polls?
I have told people who said that to look at what happened. At the time Mallam Nasir el-Rufai was one of the frontline leaders that campaigned for him. The governors from Borno, Nasarawa, Kano, Jigawa, Kebbi, Katsina and the majority from the South were with him. Half of those people today have been disappointed. Where El-Rufai is today, he has been betrayed. You can look at the meeting he held at the SDP national secretariat and you could see the shake off that was experienced in the polity.

However, the President was elected with minority votes. He didn’t score up to 50 per cent. In other climes that election would be a rerun because you need to have at least 50 per cent of popular votes to emerge victorious. The issue we are talking about today is that there would be a lot to give verdict on his performance. Since he came in, he has not done anything. People are suffering, the inflation is high, and purchasing power has diminished drastically. Even people earning N30,000 before he came to power were far better than those earning N70,000 today.

All we need to put on the machinery to safeguard our votes at the polling units unlike what happened in 2023. But people are now determined that their votes must count and decide whoever emerges after the election.