Date Published: 09/29/09
I. N. E. C OR D. N. E. C ? By ARINZE ALINNOR A.
One of the past leaders of our ‘great’ nation said he had always been afraid of two entities all his life. He said he had always been afraid because of the unpredictable nature of the two. He had always feared God and the referee. He said God cannot be controlled and the referee’s decision cannot be changed by the heads of state of two countries in a football match. Whatever the referee’s decision in a match cannot be changed or challenged by anyone in the stand. In the polity, I. N. E. C can be likened to the referee. But in their case, people in the stand can change or challenge all decisions concerning elections.
Is I. N. E. C really independent or dependent on certain people’s opinions or gesticulations? In any football match, the referee’s whistle is obeyed by all the players even if they are from his home country. He coordinates the game with his linesmen, and all the fouls and misdemeanor are checked. Free kicks, throw-ins, and penalties are given when necessary. The conduct of the players is checked and managed by the whistle. He can give the matching order to any player who fails to behave well in a match to maintain sanity. But I. N. E. C has failed to perform the functions of the referee in all the elections in Nigeria. And the general perception is that I. N. E. C is a biased umpire.
Based on the findings and reports of the Elections Petitions Tribunals, I. N. E. C is not independent but dependent on gesticulations of the ruling party. Therefore, we should stop calling it I. N. E. C and call it D. N. E. C – Dependent National Electoral Commission. Every Tom, Dick and Harry is decamping and carpet-crossing to P.D.P because being a candidate at any level is as good as being the eventual winner of the election. The whistle being blown in Nigeria by I. N. E. C is only binding on the other political parties and fouls committed by P. D. P and aspirants under the umbrella are family affairs that I. N. E. C should not bother about.
For the fact that people in different positions would give some conditions before assenting to some things that are national issues means they know the piper or pay the piper. For some to give their automatic candidacy as condition for loyalty means we have had civil rule without democracy. It is also a clear indication that the votes or wishes of the people or their own party faithfuls do not really count. The Electoral body had shown also from the reruns conducted in the recent past that there is not one iota of independency in the activities of the body.
The legislators should therefore look into changing some sections of the Electoral Act to relieve the executive some of the powers that help in the distortion we have been experiencing. If going to recess without any tangible work would allow them, they should better still change from I. N. E. C to D. N. E. C – Dependent National Electoral Commission or P. D. P. E. C – Peoples Destroyers Party Electoral Commission. Let us have this change now before the 2010 election in some places and 2011 in some other places. For now, let us ‘savour’ civil rule devoid of the tenets of democracy but remain alive to fight the nefarious monster called corruption.
ARINZE ALINNOR A.
P. O. BOX 17985, IKEJA - LAGOS.
08033001782, 07029447342
arinze198@gmail.com
www.arinze198.wordpress.com
