Nigerians went to bed on Friday, 15th February, with solid determination
to troop out in the morning of Saturday, 16th February to cast their votes
for their preferred presidential and national assembly candidates. There
was nothing to warn them that the date will be an anti-climax the next
morning. INEC had restated its preparation and determination to conduct a
free and fair election despite the syndicated doubts and fears of those
who have come to the ruddy reality that they will lose the election. The
Presidency has indeed signed off on Thursday 14th February with a
presidential broadcast by President Muhammadu Buhari and different cadres
of politicians had retreated to their bases for the election. Schools had
been closed, banks and offices operated on half capacity on Friday and
generally, every indices of an election the following day was observed in
Nigeria last Friday.
Like a thief in the night, INEC stole in the election postponement in the
wee hours of the election day and it gave no reason for the act besides
promising to meet with stakeholders by 2pm that Saturday to chart the way
forward for the election that was shifted to Saturday February 23rd, while
the subsequent state governorship and state assembly election was shifted
from March 2nd to March 9th. Every Nigerian was at a loss as to what
prompted the postponement especially as the act came few hours to the
commencement of the election. Anger and disappointment soon gave way to
bracing with the reality that we have to wait one more week to carry out
that important civic obligation.
However, there have been a cacophony of allegations, accusations and
counter-accusations amongst the contending political parties and the
candidates as to what and who prodded the postponement but these remain
speculative venting of loaded fury that does nothing to reveal the real
reasons why INEC stole in that postponement on all of us. But then, this
is not the first time we have seen such act and it is certainly not the
worst of such postponements. Our two recent elections, 2015 and 2011 come
to mind here. The 2015 election saw a six-week postponement forced on
Nigerians. Unlike the latest postponement however, the 2015 act was at the
instance of the ruling PDP which felt threatened by the challenge of the
newly-formed APC and in fright of imminent defeat, forced the shifting of
the election by six weeks during which it went haywire in deploying
Nigeria’s national resources in open bribery and inducement of voters
within that six weeks. What more, its leading members and officers openly
boasted that the shifting would enable them come back to power. Sad for
it, that desperate corrupt act never saved it as it was defeated by APC
when the election subsequently held. Also, it wasn’t INEC that levied the
2015 postponement. Rather, it was the PDP government which rammed such
decision through the Council of States. Again, in 2011, we remember how
INEC postponed the presidential and National Assembly election few hours
after the exercise had commenced in many states! So, this postponement is
neither novel nor unprecedented. But Nigerians were disappointed, all the
same, that INEC has not outlived its traditional lethargy and state of
unpreparedness and tidied its acts as to ensure precision in its time
table.
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However, while we ventilate our frustration and anger at INEC, it may be
necessary for us to give it the benefit of the doubt. There are
certainties to suggest that INEC observed some glitches that might have
compromised the election and decided to arrest such, even hours to the
exercise than bear the burden of a mangled and charred election. That way,
INEC might have saved itself from a historical burden but saved the
country the heavy burden of compromised election and the attendant social
upheaval that might cause. One week is not too long for a nation to wait
to have a good election it will proudly own as its own.
But then, the country is now abreast with very many cases of breaches or
conducts that would have heavily compromised the election if it held. With
the ugly cases of people being arrested with forged election results for
the postponed election, several cases of premeditated violence on INEC
officials and materials, shocking cases of logistic compromise, reported
cases of compromise of the sensitive equipment and materials for the
election, diversion of critical electoral materials, several cases of
armed political thugs apprehended by security agencies in several parts of
the country, it is obvious that many intrigues must have been tapped into
the electoral process to make INEC to postpone the election so that such
challenges could be trashed out. It is certain that INEC knows quite a lot
we don’t know and it is exposed to certain infractions we may even not
comprehend so its decision to postpone the election may have been informed
by patriotic and national interests that will enrich our democracy in the
long run. Even as much of that knowledge is not revealed and is entered
into the classified files of INEC, it is certain that enough cogent
reasons informed its decision to tarry a little to deliver a credible
election. It may be apt to warn that should INEC notice serious fracture
of the process even while election is on-going on the new date, it can
still cancel and postpone the exercise, as happened in 2011 so let us not
be unduly fastidious in our desire to elect leaders through a credible
democratic process.
Having said that, it is my desire that INEC should be on top of its acts
this time around. It should deploy its best hands and brains to deal with
the notorious penchant of politicians to influence the process for
ulterior motives. We have heard loads of allegations of compromise of
electoral officers, manipulation of machines and card readers, diversion
of materials and all such traditional election-rigging practices. Sure,
these have been recurrent trends with Nigerian elections but INEC must
ensure that it guards the system from the noxious influences embedded in
these malignant electoral vices. Where it lacks the expertise, it can
outsource these roles so as to get us a credible process. Within this one
week, INEC must make sure that it monitors its officials as well as its
materials and come out with requisite tactics to deal with the challenges
posed to the system by unscrupulous INEC officials, working in cahoots
with desperate politicians. That done, INEC should make its activities and
processes easily trackable by the electorates who remain the greatest
anti-rigging buffers.
I firmly believe this INEC can deliver but that depends on its ability to
track and monitor its officials at every level. INEC should ensure it
neither allows the government to dictate to it nor fall into the trap of
those who, for fear that they might lose the election, have developed
syndicated charge of rigging so as to blackmail INEC to have their ways.
Let INEC not be under any pressure to prove anything to those that launder
the silly blackmail of rigging as a way to box t to compromise. Let it
conduct its affairs in any way and manner that it deems credible to give
Nigerians the best election they can be proud of. Whatever and however it
conducts itself in the new election days will prove whether the one-week
shift was well utilized or not. If it flunks on the job this coming
Saturday, it will be doubly yoked with shame and reproach. So, it is good
that Nigerians have given INEC the benefit of the doubt (well do we have a
choice?). INEC must reciprocate this gesture by giving us a damn good
election and Nigerians know when an election is good or not. Let’s make
the coming Saturday election one to remember.
Peter Claver Oparah
Ikeja, Lagos.
Email: peterclaver2000@yahoo.c