For some with the understanding of the electoral system and cycle, we are genuinely worried at how very little time INEC has to be ready for 2019… When will systems be developed, piloted and ready for implementation? When will procurements and training of requisite personnel on new systems happen? How much time is really left for the overdue electoral reforms to take place and be entrenched?
For some with the understanding of the electoral system and cycle, we are genuinely worried at how very little time INEC has to be ready for 2019… When will systems be developed, piloted and ready for implementation? When will procurements and training of requisite personnel on new systems happen? How much time is really left for the overdue electoral reforms to take place and be entrenched?
On June 8, 2010, Nigerians received news that Professor Attahiru Jega had been nominated for appointment as the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He who would come to change the face of elections in Nigeria with resounding lessons for not just Nigeria but the entire continent. Though with nothing to signal the feat he would come to achieve then, the news of his appointment was still well received. Jega had not conducted elections before, yet Nigerians applauded the news of his appointment because he was a man of character as far as being fair, firm and focused goes.
At the time of Jega’s appointment, Nigeria had come out of arguably the worst elections ever, and wanted 2011 to be a marked departure from the 2007 debacle. Prof. Jega had nothing in the semblance of a credible voter register to work with and with less than eight months to the next general elections. The confidence of Nigerians in INEC and elections was at an all-time low. Not only did Jega take the due process to securing an extended timeframe for INEC, he pulled what experts agreed was nothing short of magic – the registeration of over 50 million voters ahead of the 2011 polls. Despite being one of those who think the voters register is bogus and needs auditing, I still believe that it remains about the most credible register since 1999.
Again, when on April 2, 2011, Jega made the unprecedented broadcast on the postponement of the election due to the delayed arrival of materials at polling units, many would have felt he was about to self-destruct; but no, he came out stronger and confidence in INEC soared, as the commission returned to give Nigerians a credible election on April 4. The opening paragraph of the text announcing the postponement was not only apt, but it communicated to many the kind of Chairman the INEC had, “Dear Compatriots: Since this Commission started work in July 2010, I have repeatedly promised Nigerians that in carrying out our duties we shall always be sincere and truthful with Nigerians. I have always said that this INEC will be upfront with Nigerians, telling you exactly how things are – sharing both our successes and difficulties with you…” He was open to all Nigerians on the true situation of things as it related to our elections.
People of strong and good character are needed to drive INEC forward. However, what differentiates one from the other is more than just character. Is the current chairman open to new thinking or is he too paranoid of the situation to boldly embrace innovations that will drive the electoral process forward?
One would have thought Jega had paid his dues and would take a deserved rest to simply replicate 2011 in 2015, but no, he was not done moving our electoral process forward. INEC yet went a step further with the introduction of the card reader, having produced and distributed millions of permanent voter cards to the electorates. At the point Jega swept aside Elder Godsday Orubebe’s attempt to disrupt the collation process at the national collation centre to go ahead and declare the 2015 election result, the ovation was deafening. Many called for him to continue as the chairman but he preferred to bow out and allow another Nigerian the opportunity to thrive on the already built momentum, and consolidate on the gains of the Commission in subsequent elections.
Jega’s time at the Commission is done and dusted, so why take us back? The answer is simple: Professor Yakubu is in charge of INEC. His nomination and appointment were also equally greeted with cheers, since he is also not lacking in character. With a similar career history as Jega, why has he suddenly not brought his character of being fair, firm and focused to bear on INEC? Why has the current INEC returned Nigeria to the bad old days of controversial, untrusted and inconclusive elections? Is 2019 safe?
As scary as the current situation with INEC may be, we must not shy away from an all-encompassing appraisal of the issues. From the few elections conducted so far under this new INEC leadership, only Kogi and Edo state governorship elections have been conducted under relative peace. The Edo gubernatorial election has however been challenged on other grounds, but the final judicial verdict is still being awaited. Otherwise, Bayelsa, Rivers and Abia all produced overwhelming levels of orchestrated insecurity from rival political actors. In the end, INEC could not conclude on some of those elections. Sadly, it is not the police, who had responsibility to arrest and prosecute offenders that is getting pummeled into line; it is INEC that the Senate has given an ultimatum, how very intelligent!
In the previous INEC, the Commission was fully constituted and as such had the full complement of all hands and brains to take on election conduct with amazing outcomes. Today, as we debate inconclusive elections, we tend to leave out the incompletely constituted INEC. No one is taking to the streets to protest on behalf of INEC and our electoral process. No institution is threatening to strike and giving the relevant authorities the required ultimatum for change to occur. This is not only unfair, uncharitable and lopsided thinking on our part, it is indeed retrogressive of our democratic gains. Nigeria is not and cannot be in short supply of competent and willing persons to be appointed as National Commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners in INEC. The irony, however, is that Mr. President seems not to find the right persons to appoint as commissioners but is able to find those to appoint into his electoral reform committee to the neglect of the widely agreed upon recommendations of the Uwais electoral reform committee. How logical!
The honeymoon has long ended and the time to impact our electoral process is now. And top of my head are five quick fixes the current INEC, as led by Prof. Yakubu, can bring to move the electoral process forward creditably…
Another grey issue of concern that we cannot overemphasise is the overzealousness of political parties and politicians with vested interests. This is literally killing our democracy and denying us free, fair, credible and conclusive elections. I continue to make the assertion that our political parties and politicians remain the least developed in our democracy since our return to democracy. From 1999 to date, no other stakeholder has committed to truncating our democracy and electoral process as much as politicians and the political parties. They have, however, not failed to develop into billionaires without credible and visible business enterprises or investments. Who rigs elections and for whose benefit? In the end, it is the same political class parading as legislators, most of whom rigged their way into office, that are the loudest in blaming the INEC for failures in our electoral process. How ironic!
As reasonably tempting as it is to make excuses for the current INEC, an objective appraisal does not support defense of the INEC. It has been almost a year and INEC has not being able to bring on board any innovation. The present cadre has even failed to sustain the momentum that was already built by the previous INEC leadership. For some with the understanding of the electoral system and cycle, we are genuinely worried at how very little time INEC has to be ready for 2019. Believe it or not, INEC has just about two budget cycles left until 2019. When will systems be developed, piloted and ready for implementation? When will procurements and training of requisite personnel on new systems happen? How much time is really left for the overdue electoral reforms to take place and be entrenched?
A few lessons I have gleaned here are these: People of strong and good character are needed to drive INEC forward. However, what differentiates one from the other is more than just character. Is the current chairman open to new thinking or is he too paranoid of the situation to boldly embrace innovations that will drive the electoral process forward? In the time he has been in charge, what outstanding innovation to the electoral process can we credit to his leadership?
The honeymoon has long ended and the time to impact our electoral process is now. And top of my head are five quick fixes the current INEC, as led by Prof. Yakubu, can bring to move the electoral process forward creditably; (i) automate the result collation process (polling unit to central system), beginning with a pilot test during 2017 Anambra governorship elections, while still returning the multi-layer manual collation process. This can be perfected during Ekiti and Osun off-cycle state elections ahead of full implementation during 2019 general elections; (ii) rollout an open election data initiative using Nigeria’s previous election data in order to elevate the quality of voter education as well as reduce the unintended secrecy that shrouds our elections; (iii) validate within the electoral framework the Card reader to also function as the authentic voter register, without which elections cannot hold in any polling unit. (iv) Institute a routine stakeholder consultative platform where successes, as well as challenges confronting the commission are openly and honestly tabled and discussed. This will return ownership of the electoral process to the people; (v) install systems that transparently document security personnel deployed, with added civic roles on the election.
There are several other grey areas such as e-voting, procurement of electoral materials and maintenance, automation of polling personnel into a database to be recycled, and the unbundling of INEC. These, however, call for broader stakeholder engagement and consultation. Let the inconclusive elections be concluded no matter the price and let us move forward without any more backlog of pending elections.
Laz Apir is an election expert with vast experience on organisation of election observation missions including the parallel vote tabulation, having worked on more than 15 elections including two general elections in Nigeria.
