The Nation Newspaper

Tag: elections

  • Will elections be free and fair?

    Will elections be free and fair?

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has a duty to organise the general elections without compromising ethics and sacrificing the rules of the game on the altar of partisanship. But, stakeholders, especially leading actors, also have a role to play in ensuring a hitch-free exercise. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU highlights the mistakes the electoral agency and other actors must avoid during the contest.

    Anxiety has enveloped the polity, ahead of the general elections. Politicians are threatening fire and brimstone. Now, there is almost a lull in governance. Much attention is devoted to preparations for the critical polls. Will the election be free and fair? Will it be peaceful and credible? Will Nigeria survive the electoral fever?

    On January 1, President Goodluck Jonathan was combative. In his message to the trembling nation, he warned trouble makers against the danger of violence. He said a repeat of the post-2011 electoral violence will not permitted. The President’s speech was anticipatory. Noting that lives and property were lost, following the announcement of the last presidential election results, he said trouble makers will be severely dealt with.

    The poll may hold in an atmosphere of tension. President Jonathan’s assurance that the poll will be free and fair has provoked ambivalent reaction. Human rights activist Nelson Ekinjimi noted that election has become a war in Nigeria. “When the Vice President said that election will be war in Osun, the President did not caution him,” he recalled.

     

    Policing votes

    Recently, Police Inspector-General Sulaiman Abba also assured that police will police the votes to prevent fraud. But, when he said that policemen will make sure that voters move 300 metres away from the polling unit after voting, there was an uproar. “Police should not only protect the ballot boxes and the voters, the electorate should also have the opportunity to police their votes,” said Ekunjimi, who is the Director of the Centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiative (CRGI).

    Many cleric have been appealing to the political class to ponder on the fate of a country in crisis. They have also called for special prayers among the congregation. In their view, politicians who lack the fear of God may violate the sanctity of the ballot box. Recently, former Foreign Affairs Minister Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi alerted the nation to the inflow of arms and ammunitions. In a country reputed for ethno-religious violence, he expressed worry over what may be the outcome of the presidential poll. If the President, who is from the South is declared winner, will the North accept the result? If the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag bearer, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, who is from the North, is the winner, will the Southsouth or the Niger Delta accept the outcome? he asked. Akinyemi suggested that both candidates should sign an undertaking that there will be no post-election violence. The advice has been ignored.

    Also, a politician and cleric, Prof. Yusuf Obaje, who said that the election will be peaceful, what the nation should prepare for is the challenge of managing the reaction to the exercise. The former university don and Aso Rock Chaplain said he could not predict the reaction that will follow its outcome in a country ravaged by poverty and political ignorance. Obaje warned that, if there is a tie at the presidential election, it could be more challenging. “If there is a third party, this could have resolved the hurdle,” he added.

    Many stakeholders have warned about the desperation by politicians. For the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has been in power for 16 years, the fear of losing out is rife. The issues on the front burner-insecurity, poor economy and poverty-have made the contest to provoke unprecedented passion. As the PDP tries to justify its push for continuity by reeling out Dr. Jonathan’s achievements, more questions are being raised. These include the decayed infrastructure, especially power outage and roads which have become death traps, soaring unemployment, and corruption. The party has now raised n21 billion to fight the electoral battle.

     

    Inflammable remarks

    The opposition appears to be coming out stronger than 2011 on a bigger platform.  It appears unbothered by the show of bravado by the ruling party. It would appear that the two major partie are of equal strength. Their leaders are also credited with some inflammable remarks. Since the APC was formed, it has survived major obstacles and put its house in order. Therefore, the opposition is louder in its quest for change and power shift more than before. Although the PDP relies on the power of incumbency, the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has said that it will crumble on poll day. Warning against electoral malpractices, he threatened that the APC will not hesitate to form a parallel government, if the winner is declared the loser.

    The PDP National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, has warned the APC against over-confidence. He described Buhari as a man who is unfit to rule. “A 72 years old is facing a 52 years old candidate. he has defeated him before. he will defeat him again,” he said. The former university don, however, drew wild criticisms when he described the General as a semi-literate jackboot. But, Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi said that the PDP is uncomfortable because the handwriting is bold on the wall. “2015 is a year we have to take our destiny in our hands,” he said, urging Nigerians to gird their loins.

    Thuggery is also booming, with jobless youths accepting to become willing tools in the hands of unscrupulous politicians. The educated thugs now complement the efforts of motor parks in wrecking havoc. Irked by the recruitment of youths for nefarious activities, Oyo State PDP governorship candidate chided the elite for targeting vulnerable youths. He wondered why rich politicians who keep their children in good schools abroad recruit the children of the poor as thugs and sacrificial lambs.

     

    Political intolerance

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega,  has also expressed worry about growing political desperation and lack of tolerance. He said the commission was ready to conduct a transparent poll. But, he warned that the actors may erect roadblocks on the way of peaceful exercise. “The greatest obstacle is the conduct of the political class”, he added.

    Beyond the apparent hot exchanges between the two divides are unresolved issues germane to credible polls. APC National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Layiwola Mohammed said that, if care is not taken, INEC, despite its assurances, may bungle the exercise. He alluded to the controversy surrounding the distribution of the Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs). He said the exercise was not tidy. “We have our fears. The PVC distribution was bungled,” he said, adding that the mistake has not been corrected. Collaborating Mohammed’s view, Ekunjimi pointed out that some state governments have even threatened to take INEC to court over the shoddy exercise.

    However, Ekunjimi is worried by other unresolved matters. He complained about lack of concrete arrangement for policing the votes. The rights activist noted the assurance by Jega that policemen who do not appear in their uniform will not be allowed to take part in the electoral duty. But, he said the power that be may over-rule him. Besides, he said the police cannot be trusted, judging by their antecedents as biased security agents on poll day. “The police has disdain for the opposition. That was why the security details of the Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, was withdrawn in a provocative manner. Can the police be trusted with policing the votes? he asked.

    Other stakeholders are not comfortable with the INEC’s position on run-off, if there is a tie. The law stipulates that a re-run should take place in seven days. But, Jega doubted the ability of the electoral agency to meet the deadline. He said the seven days are not enough. Any amendment of the electoral law may not be feasible before the polls.

     

    Litmust test for INEC

    Since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nearly bungled the last Anambra State governorship election last year, it has been under fire.  The controversy generated by the Ekiti governorship poll has not also been resolved. To avoid the pitfalls of the past,  Ayo Opadokun, the Coordinator of the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral reforms (CODER), urged the commission to use card readers for the polls.

    Almost four years ago, INEC was about restoring public confidence in the ballot box. The 2011 polls were less controversial than the 2007 conducted by his predecessor, Prof, Maurice Iwu, which were trailed  by a floodgate of litigations. But, that confidence diminished, following its poor showing in subsequent elections and by-elections. Since election, as pointed out by the cleric and politician, Pastor Tunde Bakare, can be free and yet, fraudulent, there are some mistakes INEC must avoid during the general elections. In his view, experience has shown that while the election can be free at the level of voting and counting at the polling booths, it can be fraudulent at the level of collation of results at the collation centers. In fact, in 2011, the poll was hurriedly called off, four hours after it took off nationwide, when it was discovered that polling materials were in short supply.

    In Anambra, the collation was also flawed. In some polling units, there were no result sheets. Many voters cried foul, pointing out that the INEC was not well prepared for the exercise. INEC had officials reported late for the assignment in many local governments. Where the officials reported for the exercise, they did not show up with polling materials. Voters were disillusioned. Many returned home in protest. Later, the commission shifted the exercise in some units till the next day.

    The voter’s register is also critical to the exercise. The omission of voters’ name may induce tension as they are  disfranchised. Also, the accreditation hurdle is a recurring decimal. Voters usually raise objections to the late accreditation and voting. The late arrival of polling officers and electoral materials is also worrisome. In 2011, many voters  returned home without voting because their names were not found in the voters’ register. Some electoral officers gave INEC a bad name. Even, the NIEC Chairman had to hand over a polling officer to the police for interrogation in Anambra.

     

    Do-or-die affair

    Elections have become a burden in Nigeria, owing to the do-or-die contest, thuggery and violence, which often make the critical contest a sort of war. During the Ekiti election, Amaechi was allegedly prevented from entering Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, during the campaigns in the order of the former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro. In Osun, prominent APC chieftains were harassed on the eve of the governorship elections. “Policemen and soldiers invaded my compund around 1 am. There was sporadic shooting. But, I escaped,” recalled former Governor Isiaka Adeleke. It was the same scenario across the 20 local governments.

    In Anambra, election observers were arrested and briefly detained. They complained about the way their accreditation was handled by the INEC, adding that they were subjected to ridicule while on a national assignment. “The same thing happened in Osun. Policemen harassed reporters and observers. I was prevented from taking the picture of voters on the queue. My camera was even damaged,” said Ekunjimi.

    Two days ago, Lagos APC Publicity Secretary Joe Igbokwe raised an alarm. He said that over-zealousness on the part of policemen and soldiers could spell doom. Igbokwe alleged that plans were underway by Southwest PDP leaders to use police to harass and intimidate APC members. In his petition to the army and police authorities, he said there would be confusion, if the plot is hatched. He therefore, advised the security agencies to maintain neutrality and offer protection to all stakeholders, irrespective of their political leanings.

  • Can there be credible elections without PVCs?

    Can there be credible elections without PVCs?

    In this piece, Adeyinka Jeje, Election Manager and Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, contends that the disenfranchised of eligible voters, through the shoddy distribution of Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)  is dangerous for democracy.

    I have followed with interest the on-going National discourse on INEC; the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards; and the Continuous Voter Registration.  I have restrained myself from making comment by virtue of my office, but l am finding it difficult to defend my position of silence in the face of what appeared as deliberate effort by INEC to frustrate the 2015 General Elections.

    My change of position is also due to the fact that I am an Election Manager in Lagos State and constitutionally,  whatever is the final product of the voters register by the INEC will also affect the performance on my job, hence, I am constitutionally permitted to shout loud and clear where Any short-coming in the process. Moreover, l am a Nigerian and privileged to have full understanding of the electoral terrain, hence l owe the nation, posterity and myself the duty to analyse the situation as an insider and let Nigerians know and understand the unfolding scenario.

     

    Issues

    It is essential to articulate the issues under these major headlines; (i) Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and (ii) The Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise.

     

    Permanent voter cards

    It would be recalled that the Temporary Voter Cards (TVCs) were issued by INEC on registration for the 2011 General Elections. INEC informed all of us that those with double registration had their names deleted as at 2011 and even threatened then to prosecute those affected by double registration. The Permanent Voter Cards being distributed now, had the 2011 Voters Register as its data base. Of course, this was four years ago!  INEC equally informed us in 2011 that it was in the process of issuing the Permanent Voter Cards. In essence it took INEC four years to produce the Permanent Voter Cards purportedly to be used for the 2015 General Elections. One would have expected a perfect and seamless job, not the haphazard issuance, missing of individual names and entire registration units all over the country.

    First, let us examine the issue of double registration. While INEC has the right to perfect its Voter Register, l have checked the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act, l did not see anywhere INEC is empowered to disenfranchise anybody for double registration. Me think the most logical thing to do is to delete double but still maintain the voter in the register. INEC could decide to prosecute anyone for double registration but for God’s sake, it has no right to disenfranchise anybody.

    Secondly, INEC came with some double talks on why voters in some states decreased while obviously these states are states with exploding population. Is INEC saying after the 2011 General Elections it did another editing of the register or it employed another computer application that assisted in weeding out names with double entry?  I know this was not the case, hence something mischievous or hidden from the public and the Election Managers in the 36 State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs), who will equally use the same register for their Local Government elections are not being along carried on by INEC. This leads simply to suspicion as election is a process and the compilation of the Voters Register is a very important aspect of that process.

    Thirdly, is the distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards for three days and relegation of subsequent collection to INEC Local Council Offices, is a reckless management of the distribution without adequate consideration for the environment. All of us who witnessed the distribution were sure that not up to 30 percent collected the PVCs.  I was therefore ,shocked when INEC claimed that over 60 percent of registered voters had collected the PVCs and that any registered voter without the PVC will not be allowed to vote in the 2015 General Elections. This seemingly simple unconstitutional decision by INEC is a recipe for disaster in the forthcoming election.

    The voters register is biometric in the sense that it has the picture, details and finger-prints of each voter. It is easy to relate the photograph in the register to the face of the voter and one could ask some simple security questions like age, date of birth, etc, to ascertain doubtful voters. To out-rightly ban those who could not locate/collect their PVC is nothing but arbitrary use of power.

    If this situation is not corrected by calling INEC to order, the ground or foundation is being laid for altercations at each of virtually all the polling units across the country. On the day of election, it is easy for altercation to get heated and if not well managed, could lead to squabble which may ultimately lead to chaos, riots and breakdown of law and order. I foresee this happening simultaneously all over the country and this will simply lead to cancellation of elections in those areas where peace appears to have been disturbed.

    I have read voraciously about electoral processes and luckily l was in Washington DC, USA with Prof Jega and his team during the 2011 presidential elections. One constant in stable electoral environments all over the world is confidence in the system. No voter ever expect to be disenfranchised and voters in those climes know that anyone who commits an Electoral offence shall be liable. The simple question l want to ask is: Hhs INEC distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards generated confidence in the Nigeria Electoral System towards the 2015 elections?”

     

    Continuous voters

    registration exercise

    After the 2011 elections, Prof Jega announced that INEC would start the Continuous Voters Registration immediately all over the Federation.  I find the whole gamut of Continuous Voters Registration as a huge joke on Nigerians. Why five days if it is Continuous Voter registrations, is it not contradictory?  We all can remember the problem of the data Capturing Machines when used in 2011 and we begin to wonder what magic INEC wanted to perform within 5 days of what they called Continuous Voters Registration exercise. Of course, this is not the age of miracles, the exercise has failed woefully.

    The INEC has a monopoly on the compilation of Voters Register, but the Constitution also empowers SIECs to advise INEC on the subjects as long as the same Register would be used for Local Councils’ elections. This implies SIECs are Stakeholders, but INEC in its electoral arrogance did not consider it necessary to carry the SIECs along and to worsen the matter has refused to acknowledge inputs from SIECs. INEC is on a solitary journey in the Nigeria electoral terrain whereas it is expected to carry all the stakeholders along. It is more painful because this is one of our areas of core competence where we are, expected to exhibit pure professionalism, which I must confess is lacking in INEC’s management of the exercise.

     

    Inferences

    It is quite clear from the analysis that if INEC is not called to order, it would embark on unconstitutional disenfranchisement of   eligible voters. INEC has no right to delete any name from the Voters Register but can only prosecute those involved in double registration.

    What happens to the names of individuals missing in the Register or to names of people in an entire Registration Unit missing? Many people re-registered but still no Permanent Voter Card. Yet many of these people have the temporary Voter Card but according to INEC, cannot vote.

    What will happen on Election Day.  Are we using the Card Reader? What value is the Card reader going to add to the election? Is the card reader going to replace the Poll Clerk? In fact it is still a mystery to me at our level of electoral development what the card reader is meant to achieve.

    Anyway you must have a Permanent Voter Card before the Card Reader can be used. What if the Card Reader is faulty?

    The INEC should drop the idea of disenfranchising eligible voters for lack of Permanent Voter Card. The blame for non- possession of Permanent Voter Card should be placed at the doorstep of  the INEC. I do not want to subscribe to the allegation that INEC is playing out a script.

    More worrisome is the implication of the aforementioned on the voter turn –out. Any Electoral Management Body (EMB) that refuses to take into cognizance the confidence of the voter in the electoral system and level of participation in the democratic process is invariably plunging the nation into legitimacy crisis. If democracy is the government of the majority, a situation where less than half the voter population elect the representatives could not be said to be democratic in actual terms. Prof. Attahiru Jega should revisit the way INEC is embarking on this journey of 2015 elections.

    Nigeria has a lot to learn from Brazil that incidentally shares some attributes with Nigeria, equally a federal state, highly populated and multi-cultural in nature. Just last year October, 2014 the Voter Turn –out in the presidential election of that Country was 78.9 per cent where  Presidential, Gubernatorial and National Assembly Elections were held same day. Perhaps we need to also note the 2013 parliamentary elections in Australia with 93.23 per cent Voter Turn-out. Nigeria could achieve same feat if the political will and the conducive atmosphere is in place. However the present disposition of INEC and the body language appears to be indifferent to high turn-out of Voters during the coming election.

    The INEC not to allow itself to be an instrument in subverting itself in the process of free, fair and credible election. It should allow without any controversy the use of Temporary Voter Cards during the 2015 election or else it might open itself to litany of litigations which I hope may not add to frustrating credible 2015 general elections in Nigeria.

  • General elections: What role for the youth?

    We are getting closer to that time again. The time we need to use our hands to change our destiny. The judgment day is near when we will have to make a decision for another four years. Political actors are going about, telling us why we must vote for them. The social media is already agog with campaign and programmes of candidates. There have also been rumours, allegations and counter-allegation. The streets are already littered with several posters.

    Politicians have returned with their usual statement and cliché: “the youth are the future of the country”. Well, the truth about that statement is still in the court of public opinion. But to say the fact, the youth have been let down many times by the leaders, who have continued to tell us we are the leaders of tomorrow. Yet they don’t want to commit anything into our hands. They want to hold on to power till eternity.

    The painful reality is that, the youth have not leveraged on the power they have to make a progressive change. We have failed to explore our population and strength. Majority of the voting populace is made up of youths; we have the social media to our advantage, yet we have failed to live up to the billing.

    Another election is around the corner and we must ensure that it is not business as usual. As youths, we must be ready to hold our leaders responsible by making the right choice and by refusing to be used and dump for selfish reasons.

    The strength of any nation lies in the hands of the youths. In developed world, the youth play significant roles in the development of their country. But in Nigeria, the youth have been relegated to the background when it comes to decision making.

    Who are the youth? We are talking about adults from ages 18 to 45. Going by this age bracket, a larger percentage of the electorate are youths. The mobilisers for politicians are youths. Based on these facts, the role of the youths before, during and after elections cannot be underestimated.

    In previous elections, the youth played roles that pulled the country to the brink; they were ready tools in the hands of vote robbers and agents of violence, who subverted the will of the people. It is worthy to note that a very few youths stood on the path of progress, those who could not be bought by moneybags. Although a larger percentage of us mortgaged our future for filthy lucre and joined criminals to perpetrate electoral violence.

    Going back to what happened after the 2011 general elections, which culminated into the declaration of Dr Goodluck Jonathan as the winner of the flawed contest, nine Corps members serving in Bauchi were killed. Who killed them? Our fellow youths did, all in the name of protest against manipulation.

    Now, do we travel the same road again? Another election is around the corner. We have a duty to make it a success or bungle it with our inordinate sentiment. While I urge that nobody should be killed because of election, the youth must be ready to accept to be responsible in the coming weeks.

    Among the flocking seeking our votes are selfish politicians whose children are in safe place abroad but want us to foment trouble should their interest be threatened by election results. We must reject politicians asking us to cause violence. If we are willing to make our stand known, then it will send a signal to proponents of violence that we have changed and we want change in the way electioneering is conducted.

    2015 must not be business as usual. We must ask any candidate seeking election or re-election his plans and what they intend to do differently. Let us not be blinded by ethnicity, religion or social background. The only thing we need now is change, progress, development, and any candidate that cannot promise to move us forward should be shown the exit through our votes.

    And that brings us to the point of asking how many youths have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs)? Elections are not won on the social media, or using a particular candidate on your display picture will not make such candidate win election. Rather, the process starts from registering and collecting the PVCs and coming out to cast our votes on the election day. It is a pity that we are in the internet age, but Nigeria is not ready to toe the path of technology. So, while we are agitating on the social media, we should be ready to cast our vote for our preferred candidates.

    We cannot afford to miss it again this time, for any mistake we make this time will haunt us for another four years. If any politician that gives you rice or money, it won’t even last for fur day but we may have sold our four years if we are induced to vote. Generation yet unborn will not be happy with us if we make the wrong choice this time.

     

    Dayo, just finished his National Youth Service, NYSC Lafia

     

  • Elections ’ll be crisis-free, says Oritsejafor

    Elections ’ll be crisis-free, says Oritsejafor

    THE President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, said yesterday that this year’s general election will be free and fair.

    Nigerians, he said, must learn to support their leaders in prayers in the new year.

    The CAN president said: “We must all exhibit love and sacrifice for ourselves and our nation in our collective quest for a better Nigeria beginning from 2015.

    “Many have alluded to the fact that the 2015 general elections would throw Nigeria into chaos, but as a man of faith, I see the election as Nigeria’s turning-point.”

    Oritsejafor, in a statement in Abuja, said: “Leaders must be wise and courageous in their decisions in this coming year, because, as it has already been known, the challenges are becoming multifaceted from insecurity to crashing oil prices and many others.

    “But I see a lot of positives and opportunities in the midst of these challenges; and that is what I want Nigerians to absorb in their hearts. The year 2015 may seem quite challenging for Nigeria, but it is one that equally holds a lot of hope and promise that could lead to the fulfillment that we have all yearned for.

    “So, I disagree with the wide spread projections about 2015 whether in terms of security, infrastructure, politics and the economy; man is not God. I believe that 2015 might just be that year in which Nigeria’s socio-economic revolution will be actualised.

    “I reserve special accolade for gallant men and women in the battleground. May their efforts to secure a one, united and peaceful nation never be in vain. For our youths, women, the aged and all Nigerians, I wish them well in this New Year and pray that Almighty God grant our individual and collective desires as we enter the new year.”

    The statement also reads: “Fellow Nigerians, it gives me great pleasure and joy to extend my warmest regards to you all. We have come to the end of another eventful year that truly tested our strengths and weaknesses; measures our faith in God and stretched our limits beyond what we all could have imagined.

    “Despite the daunting challenges, we were able to weather the storm and have emerged even stronger and can be counted among people of strong character and unwavering faith.”

    The CAN boss urged all Nigerians, especially Christian faithful, to “brace up for the challenges ahead of us both as individuals and as a nation.”

    He went further that: “As we reflect on the events of the past year and look forward to the times ahead, I want us to concentrate on the issue of overcoming. In this light, it is important to emphasise that all challenges are timely, and they are not accidental.

    “God tests us in such ways to enable realise his greatness. You cannot realise the real value of your life, if you have not compared it to something. God sends us trials so that we could understand the deepness of His goodwill and love.

    “No one is alone until he has his faith. The Bible has such words: “God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart” (Chronicles 32:31 NKJ).

    “So, you see that even in His withdrawal, God is always with us. Sending us trials and challenges, He wants to demonstrate to us the real power we have inside and the real power he gave us. Often we fail to use it properly, because we don’t know how strong we are.”

    He said he dwelled on encouragement because he wanted Nigerians to approach the new year with a renewed sense of vigour and the understanding that the citizenry must work for the kind of society that they desire.

    “If we want peace and prosperity, then we must work for it and not lament over the challenge.

    “But all these will not be possible if we continue to stay away from God or desist from doing his will in our small areas of jurisdiction.

    “We must therefore approach everything in this year, first of all by inviting God’s presence to lead that particular venture and secondly, by approaching it with a positive mind. That is the spirit that will lead Nigeria to the promise land.”

  • Towards peaceful 2015 elections

    Towards peaceful 2015 elections

    Members of Liberty Chamber, a students’ group at the Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) have held a public lecture on security agencies’ role in the forthcoming general elections. TOYIN ALI (300-Level Law) reports.

    What is the role of security agencies in ensuring a violence-free general election? This was the thrust of discussion at a public lecture organised by Liberty Chambers, a students’ group at the Faculty of Law of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN).

    The lecture with the theme: Security agencies and the management of electoral violence in Nigeria: Lessons for 2015 general election was held in honour of Mr Kolapo Aliyu Abdulkadir, a lawyer and Deputy Registrar at the National Maritime Authority.

    While declaring the event opened, the faculty’s Dean, Dr Yusuf Arowosaye, extolled the honoree’s virtues for his professionalism, which he said made him to become an authority in maritime law and administration.

    The dean praised members of the Liberty Chamber for charting the course for what he called “intellectual discussion” on how the election would be successful and free of controversy.

    The guest lecturer, Dr Adegboyega Kareem of the Institute for Security Studies in Lagos, said the conduct of security agents would determine whether the 2015 general elections would be peaceful, stressing that security agents must shun partisanship in order not to derail the democracy.

    He said: “As the 2015 elections draw closer, it is expected that the security agencies define their responsibilities and prevent, intercept and control electoral violence. Their conduct and loyalty to the constitution would contribute to the sustenance of democracy in the country.”

    While canvassing for a free and credible process, Kareem urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to use technology to conduct the elections. He said INEC should deploy electronic gadgets, such as video recorder to monitor campaign rallies, parties’ conventions and distribution of electoral materials during the elections.

    “These electronic gadgets would assist the INEC to prosecute violators of the numerous extant laws governing the elections as well as bring about orderliness in the process,” he added.

    The lecture was followed by the launch of Advocatus, a magazine published by staff and students of the faculty. While launching the magazine, Abdulkadir donated N100,000 in addition to other gift items given to the students.

    The honoree was presented an award for his contribution to the development of maritime law.

    Some students, who spoke with CAMPUSLIFE, praised the chamber for the event, describing it as “intellectual exercise”.

    Ali Ibrahim, a 200-Law student, said: “I am very proud to be part of this excellent team in the school. As this would be the first time a chamber of the faculty would produce a magazine.”

    Sodik Kolapo, also in 200-Level Law, described the event as unprecedented, saying it took determination and hard work to hold such event.

    In his remarks, the chamber’s president, Bamigbola Jimoh, a 400-Level Law student, thanked the honoree for personally attending the event, saying: “Your name will continue to tread in the foot print of humanity.”

    The event, held in the newly commissioned Faculty of Art Lecture Theatre, was attended by guests from within and outside the campus.

  • ‘Nigeria will not break after elections’

    Contrary to held views that Nigeria will disintegrate in 2015, which coincides with the country’s general elections, a cleric Pastor Akin Aina Oluwabukola has said Nigeria will remain an indivisible entity as it has been.

    Pastor Oluwabukola, a Senior Pastor with the Continental Grace Christian Centre Otto/Ijankin Lagos, spoke during the ministry’s maiden convention which had the theme “Overwhelming Joy”.

    He urged Nigerians not to despair but to pray fervently ahead of next year’s general elections for peace and unity of the country. He said some people who are anti-establishment are planning to effect a power change within the third week of January in order to distabilise the country. He, however, said “such plans are already headed for the rocks, except God is interested in it.”

    Pastor Oluwabukola said the eight-day convention was held to draw Nigerians towards seeking the face of God so that plans of the enemies against the election will not prevail.

    He said: “God told me some elements are plotting some power changing tactics with the aim of destabilising this country. But their plans will not succeed except God ordained it, and that will be good for the country. Nigeria will not break despite divergent opinions about the probability of our living together after the general elections. I will only enjoin Nigerians to pray ahead of the time so as to avert a possible danger.”

    He likened Nigeria to the Biblical Samaria which “though were in Israel, yet considered as impure because they allowed the Jews to inter-marry with them. It was Phillip that went to Samaria and preached to them. The Samarian example will be Nigeria’s lot.

    Continuing, he said: “Samaria is like Nigeria where we have people with diverse ethnic and religious leanings, with some trying to impose their views on others. The good thing, however, is that our strength lies in our diversity. This is what makes us great as a nation.”

    Giving the rationale behind the ‘operation feed the elderly’ where the church on Saturday carried out social services of providing food and clothing items to the aged, Akin Aina said the church carried out the exercise in the spirit of Christmas which, to him, is anchored on love.

    “The whole essence of Christmas is that Chris showed love to mankind by sending his only son to redeem us from our sins. If Jesus had not died, there wouldn’t have been any hope of resurrection in the hereafter.

    “Besides, we feel these people are old and therefore deserve special attention and care. We should make them feel a lot happier even in their old age,” Akin Aina said.

  • ‘There’s no need to postpone 2015 elections’

    ‘There’s no need to postpone 2015 elections’

    Babatunde Bamtale is a civil rights activist and the chairman of Concerned Group of Nigeria (CGN), Alimosho, Lagos State chapter. The non-governmental organisation has been mobilising people to turn out enmass to exercise their franchise during the general elections next year. In this interview with ADEOLA OGUNLADE, Bamtale speaks about what inspired the group to embark on the exercise, its activities in Lagos State and other issues.

    What informed the formation of this group?

    Well, the Concerned Group of Nigeria (CGN) is a newly-established group founded with the vision of ensuring that Nigerians enjoy their fundamental human rights. It was founded to stand as a voice for the voiceless, to ensure total accountability from the elected persons to the electorates. Nigerians need to demand accountability. They should let their conscience decide who they vote for, because whoever they vote for must respect them; it is wrong for political leaders to ignore those who vote for them. They should give them account periodically, after being elected into offices. That is why CGN was established to enlighten the electorates on some of these things. This is to ensure that they don’t make mistakes.  CGN was also established to promote true federalism, because that is what can help our nascent democracy to grow.

    Who are your main targets?

    Our targets are the people at the grassroots; the idea is to carry them along, with regards to happenings in the urban world. This is because many of them are ignorant. When they see any politician coming to give them half bag of rice, they would jump at it and begin to vote for such a person. But, after the person is voted into office, he would turn his back against them. We are not promoting stomach infrastructure here; we want them to vote for a reliable person that will deliver and put real infrastructure in place which generations yet unborn would benefit from. Because if they vote for someone that is sharing money or rice or garri, they will suffer it in the next four years; they would pay for it and their children would also suffer. We are educating people to vote for people that can teach them to fish, rather than giving them fish.

    What other reason do you have for interacting with the people at the grassroots?

    We also want to reach the artisans, some of whom lack real information about what is going on in the country. We want to serve as intermediary between them and the government because there are so many gaps in terms of communication and we want to bridge this. That is why the Eko Initiative was also established in the first instance. To educate them to choose the right candidates that we feel would serve them better as we have also been studying events in the state and in the country at large.

    Who do you think is the right person for Lagos State?

    For the past 16 years, it has been a particular group of people ruling the state and it appears this group of people has seen it as their legitimate right to rule the state forever. That is why we at CGN are advocating for change. We want Lagosians to embrace change by voting an opposition party; let’s give change a chance. CGN group has gone deep to know the mind of the people and they have spoken with one voice that they need someone that can fill the gaps on ground and  this is the person we believe has the understanding of Lagosians and their wellbeing is paramount in his heart. He is compassionate about the people at the grassroots and we believe that he is the solution to their problems.

    But, Lagosians believe that Governor Babatunde Fashola has done a lot. How do you want to convince them that the PDP will do more?

    Personally, I am so depressed that for over 16 years a particular group of people have been ruling the state and all what they do is pretend that they are for the masses. It is high time Lagosians started asserting their rights. The state has been governed by Muslims since the time of Lateef Jakande in 1979; no Christian has ruled till date. So, we need a God-fearing person, and that is why we are bringing a Christian on board. These are the things CGN is opening people’s eyes to, so that they won’t be enslaved for ever. If you go to the grassroots, the people are really clamouring for change. They are tired of being enslaved by a single entity. They want to be liberated from the grip of pretenders and their anti-masses policy.

    How do you intend to achieve your goal?

    By educating the people to choose the right candidate we believe we are alleviating their sufferings and that we are solving their problems as well.  That is why we are appealing to the delegates to vote for the right candidates at the primaries. They need to know the mind of people; they need to choose the right candidate that people are clamouring for; we have carried out researches at the grassroots and we know the minds of people. We believe if the right candidate emerges, there is no two ways about it, he would be able to compete favourably with the ruling party and become the next Governor of Lagos State.

    What is your view about the poor distribution of Permanent Voters Card (PVC), especially in Alimosho which has the largest population in Lagos?

    That is one of the things CGN is also doing; we have sent text messages through our organization to all Lagosians, especially those from Alimosho that their voter’s card would be ready on November 28, 2014. Information has been passed across to them to go out and collect their PVCs at the centre where they registered in 2011.

    People believe that due to the security situation in the country that the election should not hold. What is your take on this?

    What I want Nigerians to know is that terrorism cannot be stopped in a day; it can only be reduced to the barest minimum. Check out the developed countries, they are also facing with terrorists attacks; it is everywhere. But, the people in power know the best thing to do; the most important thing is to have a transparent government. We should also go back to true federalism. I don’t believe that terrorism should stop our election in 2015, because if we do so, it means we are giving the perpetrators of this insurgency more power; it means they have achieved their goals. As time goes on, the insurgency will be totally eradicated. There is no way one will not have bad eggs in the government, even Jesus Christ in the Bible had a bad egg among his disciples. These are the people sabotaging government’s efforts, but we shall get to the root of the matter soon. Many people are saying the election will break Nigeria, I don’t believe Nigeria will break up after 2015 election. This is because the country has been through so many crises in the past and yet we are still together. So, this particular one will not make any difference.

  • Parties deregistration, threat to 2015 elections

    As if he was referring to the pretext of the multiple judgment dilemma which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) raised in refusing to honour the Chris Okotie-led Fresh Democratic Party’s verdict, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, subsequent to his confirmation by the Senate as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, said; “… the personal interest of judges and lawyers in certain political cases had been behind the incidences of conflicting judgments… these conflicting judgments are mostly common in political cases involving election tribunals where there are a lot of interests…”

    It will be recalled that FRESH proceeded to Justice G. O. Kolawole’s Federal High Court 5, Abuja Division, where it secured a victory in July 2013. FRESH, which upturned its de-registration, has strenuously claimed that INEC was deliberately frustrating its incursion into mainstream politicking. The catalogue of events since the December 2012 de-registration shows this to be true.

    INEC filed a notice of appeal but failed to perfect the process at the Appeal Court within the stipulated 90 days. But in response to FRESH’s sustained calls on the commission to make good the verdict, it instructed the party to re-register. There was then hurried re-amendment of Section 78 (7) (ii) of the Electoral Act by the National Assembly, which stipulates that political parties must win seats during state and National Assembly elections, to include councillorship elections, though this section of the Act has been set aside by the FRESH ruling.

    But after months of silence and subsequent re-filing of another notice of appeal in July 2013, nine months clear of the 90 days window, INEC chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, declared unequivocally that the law is the law and until it is changed, the commission will maintain status quo. Invariably, FRESH should not expect to see its name on the ballot papers come 2015, irrespective of the ruling. Now, Hope Democratic Party (HDP) has also secured another verdict akin to FRESH’s at Justice Ademola Adeniyi’s Federal High Court, Abuja, who referred to FRESH’s verdict and questioned why the agency had not complied with it.

    INEC is out of touch with voter sentiments, and in making such a statement must expect a riposte, especially while touting a misleading notice of appeal which is now gathering dust, since they don’t regard the judiciary’s right of interpretation or even the verdict as worthy of the paper it was written on. The electoral agency is acting like an autocratic boss who doesn’t care about contradictions. INEC is 30 years behind the world’s current affairs, as a bird’s eye view of global politics shows that the paradigm of elective political participation has changed, and cunning play of political hands is obsolete.

    Political representation is not a question of winning over ideology, but that the dismal state of leading parties’ style of politicking and crony governance, a staple of Nigerian politics, needs to be put under with an integrity-focused and vibrant opposition. If there is a sector of Nigeria which needs a boom in un-curtailed representation, it is freedom of participatory politics. The prejudice of thinking that the new parties are not proper political organisms because they are not run by the old breed politicians is unfounded: INEC must be neutral, and not put the nascent parties under pressure to perform in a lopsided race.

    The internal manipulations and bureaucratic certification imposed by stalwarts of the ruling class is at the root of the emergence of smaller parties, and it can so easily asphyxiate the emphasis on innovation which the nation needs now. The yearning for a truly deregulated political space is being stymied by the daunting obstacle of animosity evidenced by INEC and the increased regulation by the Senate’s latest re-amendment of the voided electoral act. FRESH should be allowed to pursue its mandate without the fanged oversight of INEC. When it is asked to surrender itself to an abstract process which has consistently proven faulty, then it is stifled.

    The last few years has been filled with incredible upheavals inflicted by PDP’s super-stratum of politicians who have been moldering in politics with an inflated opinion of their own relevance and abilities. The irony of this cabal’s self-exultation is that the nation has been stuck in the doldrums, so growth is bound to stagnate and slow down to a halt, especially with unforeseen circumstance like the fall in global oil prices; Nigeria’s economic mainstay. To parry the threat posed by FRESH, the leading party, which is not on the side of the masses, faces humiliation at the hands of this nationalist rival they once dismissed as non-starters and closet politicians.

    Okotie’s paradigm shift is all about challenging the status-quo and putting things in a different and more productive light with a global mindset. His party’s strategic perception means it is alert to the need for change, creative about how to accomplish that change, and alive to the strengths and weaknesses which may influence, enhance or frustrate the right atmosphere to accomplish that change, like INEC is engendering.

    In today’s highly evolved and networked world, a robust political and governmental structure is vital in every nation, one that is reliable, providing innovative solutions to challenges, not one that bamboozles the polity by the amount of noise which government’s peddle through their media machinery. But they cannot dispose of the fact that the populace consults with each other about current issues, rather than depend on the rehearsed media façade of spin doctors. But to put deception lower down the pecking order, Nigerians need to take a stand. We can’t continue to be fobbed off with generic excuses- we must begin to assert our rights.

    So 2015 presents another chance to address arguably the two largest issues facing Nigeria: corruption and transparency, by voting out the ruling cabal, whose philosophy is best expressed as ‘to the greater glory of us’ (Ad Manus Gloriam). The present rumblings in the political atmosphere are indicative of the need for change, and CJN, Justice Mohammed must save the judiciary from this political attrition by politicians, by making cases like this FRESH/HDP tango a matter of urgency.

    Days after INEC’s lifting on the ban on campaigns, and the continued denial of these two parties the right to participate, despite an extant verdict, the possibility of a legal recourse already flies a red flag and jeopardizes the conduct and outcome of 2015 general elections. Now is the time for the CJN to alter the course of INEC’s highhandedness.

     

    • Godswill wrote from Delta State

  • ‘We need credible candidates for elections’

    A group the  Obokun/Oriade Solidarity Forum, has advocated for  credible candidates to represent the people of Ijesaland in the legislature.

    The group is saddled with the responsibilities of picking a credible candidate from any party in Ijesa North Federal Constituency to represent the area in  state and national assemblies.

    The Coordinator of the group, Olusola Ojokunle,  said the main objective of the forum is to source for  credible representatives.

    Ojokunle averred that the group is emphasising on sensitization of people in the federal constituency to adopt a better candidate that can lead and represent them.

    He said the group is not working for political parties, but advocating  for the best candidate that would represent the aspiration and interest of the people.

    Ojokunle said the group has set  machineries in motion to sensitise the  people on the need to choose a candidate of their choice.

    The objective  of the group, according to the coordinator, is to support a reliable candidate, that understand the yearnings and aspirations of the people in the constituency.

  • Youths enjoined to participate in elections

    Youths have called upon to participate actively in next year’s election, as part of their contribution to the deepening of democracy. The founder and President, Young Achievers Campaign Organisation of Nigeria (YACOON), Temitope Adewale, gave this admonition in an interview with The Nation. He stressed the need for youths to avoid the mistakes of  past leaders.

    The youth leader said he was inspired by the need for the younger generation to contribute to political, social and economic emancipation of the people. He lauded some of the nation’s leaders, who assumed such positions at a very young age, saying this has helped to ensure the unity of the country.

    “History, many will argue, always has a way of repeating itself, which, in my opinion, should only be so for positive historical experiences. Today, as Nigeria builds up to the 2015 elections, various youths have indicated interest to vie for political offices, but I am worried,” he said.

    Adewale said that, despite being a leading and vocal campaigner for youth involvement in politics, he is worried that the situation is not changing for the better and that a negative part of Nigeria’s history is repeating itself because the younger generation has been avoiding politics.

    He said: “First, I must commend Nigerian youths for demanding more by  organising debates for electoral candidates, interviewing them,  paying solidarity visits, organising rallies, bidding for campaign printing contracts, singing politicians to victory during and before the elections among other roles. It’s encouraging to know that many youths are asking for more involvement, hopefully because they have a plan.”

    According to him, a driving force to this new passion in politics can be linked to the school of thought that power is never given freely, but forcefully. “I believe in this school of thought, but as 2015 draws nearer, it is becoming more obvious to me that most youths lack the understanding of what power is, who is in possession of the power, who is qualified to take it and when the qualified needs to make a move to take it. The youth power block is perhaps the most divided in Nigeria today,” he said.

    Adewale said he was worried that most youths interested in politics lack a basic understanding of the constitution. “How can you be running for a legislative or an elective position without an in-depth understanding of what the constitution says? It’s better to enter university without writing WAEC, as the worst that you can get is a personal failure whereas as a politician you are risking the entire lives of the millions or more that you seek to represent as a result of your poor preparation and lack of understanding of both the Nigerian constitution and the party constitution,” he said.

    Adewale encouraged every youth interested in politics to be ready to pay the price. He said: “You are seeking to officially lose your right to privacy, you are willing to have people that may ordinarily not have access to you shout you down and speak to you as they like. You are basically seeking to live a life of sacrifice and will be willing to leave the scene financially poorer and physically more stressed than you came in.

    “To those ready for the real deal, I say welcome to the arena of sweat and toil where true leaders are made. Many youths will be made in 2015, but the extent of their preparation will determine their relevance and success post 2015.”

    He said he had met with a number of youths, who spoke to him about their ambitions and interest in politics. Many of such youths, he said, explained that, in one way or the other, they lost interest because of fear that leaders of their party are not carrying them along or giving them the necessary access to reach their goals.