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Tag: Independent National Electoral Commission

  • 20 killed as violence rocks polls

    No  fewer than 17 people were killed across the country yesterday as violence erupted during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    The army confirmed six in Rivers State alone.

    Three of the victims died at different polling units at Okota, a suburb of Lagos, and three in Sapele, Delta State, two each in Bayelsa and Kogi States while one each was killed in Oyo and Zamfara States.

    The remaining two died on Friday during a clash between supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State.

    Sequel to the violence, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has decided to hold   fresh elections in some parts of  Lagos, Rivers and Anambra States.

    INEC Commissioner and chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, announced the development said the move was on account of disruption.

    He said: “The commission has received reports of violence and ballot box snatching in some areas leading to the disruption of the process. We have asked the Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs and the Electoral Officials on ground to submit their firsthand reports in relation to some of these incidents. We are still receiving reports relating to incidences in some states of the federation but we have received reports relating to incidences in Akuku Toru and Bonny local government areas of Rivers state.

    “So long as the commission could not deploy in these areas, the implication is that voting did not take place in those areas and the commission will hold consultations with the relevant authorities and the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in relation to these areas and will announce the date when polls will take place in some of these areas, especially in relation to the areas as they affect the House of Representatives and Senatorial elections.

    “It is not only in Rivers that we had reports of burning of electoral materials. We have such reports from Anambra and Lagos States as well as some other places.”

    The victims in Rivers State included two brothers and a soldier.

    Sources identified one of the victims in Lagos simply as Peter. He was said to be a barber and was allegedly   shot and stabbed to death at Powerline, Canal Estate in Okota  by thugs who stormed the polling station in an attempt to disrupt the electoral process.

    Another was identified as Demola, a leader of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) in the area who was lynched by a mob for allegedly denying them a right to vote.

    The identity of the third man could not be immediately established, but he was stabbed to death at Last Bus Stop, Ago Okota.

    Residents alleged that the thugs first showed their intent as early as 8am when they stormed the area threatening prospective voters.

    They blamed the police and soldiers for not acting on reports about the activities of the alleged hoodlums.

    An eye witness said: “Those guys were armed with guns and cutlass. We had policemen and soldiers here and I personally told them that those guys seated under the umbrella there were thugs and not voters in this area.

    “We told them to do their job by chasing them away or arresting them but surprisingly, the security people left. They only left one police van here and the policemen inside had just stick.

    “As soon as those policemen and soldiers left, these boys started scattering everywhere. They destroyed the ballot boxes but we were able to secure the presidential ballot box because we had voted.

    “They killed one barber and injured many people here. We called the police and soldiers for reinforcement. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials ran away for their lives. Soldiers later came to rescue them.

    “But why we are angry now is that the INEC doesn’t want to continue our election. They said they will not count our votes here and we have refused. There are police and soldiers here, so, let them count the votes of our presidential election. At least, they could not scatter that.”

    Some of the hoodlums also stormed polling unit 023, Ago Palace Way, and set fire to   thumb printed ballot papers.

    However, the voters fought back and the thugs fled on a motorcycle.

    One of them was however unlucky and was subsequently seized with his motorcycle which was immediately set ablaze.

    The suspect was beaten and later handed over to the police.

    Ten others were arrested also at Okota.

    The police arrested nine other suspected thugs at Somolu, Lagos for allegedly molesting voters with charms, six in Epe, three at Ajao Estate, Lagos.

    Soldiers arrested two persons at Aguda, Surulere, Lagos.

    One of the suspects Yusuf, said a politician asked him to come to a polling unit for an unknown reason.

    Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) David Folawiyo and Police Commissioner Zubairu Muazu went round the city to monitor the security situation.

    Leader of OPC in Okota, Prince Osipote, denied the thugs who disrupted elections in the area. He said they were not members of the OPC.

    Addressing reporters after a meeting with his men, Muazu said a total of 23 persons were arrested in the state for attempts to disrupt the elections which he described as generally peaceful in the state.

    He said: “We went round several polling units and it was generally peaceful. We had a few cases of disruption of election process. The most important was the one at Okota where few polling units were attacked.

    “Some hoodlums went there when election was ongoing and disrupted the process. We heard the rumour that people were killed but we went there and we did not see any corpse. The DPO did not see anyone that was killed.

    “In Okota, nine suspects were arrested. They came on motorcycles and 10 of these were recovered. Okota is a very large area and we cannot deploy armed policemen to polling units. The armed policemen were far off. That was why the hoodlums were able to strike and fled before armed policemen could get there.

    “It is indeed a breach of the restriction order. I wonder where they came from but the case is under investigation and we will find out where they came from.

    Three killed, two injured in Sapele shooting

    Unknown gunmen were blamed for the killings in Sapele.

    Sources said the hoodlums swooped on voters as they queued to exercise their franchise at Amukpe area of Sapele and unexpectedly opened fire.

    Two persons died on the spot while another died in the hospital.

    Two other persons hit by bullets are now receiving treatment in the hospital.

    The motive of the gunmen could not be immediately established.

    A resident of the area said: “I’m not sure they carted election materials away, but I saw that the ground of the place was littered with electoral  materials, giving me the impression that they only scattered the materials.”

    Police Commissioner Adeleke Adeyinka said he was yet to be briefed on the incident.

    But a security source said: “immediately we heard of the situation, we moved in to take over the area so as to stabilize it and prevent a further escalation of the situation.”

    APC chieftain, brother soldier killed in Rivers

    Unknown gunmen also shot to death, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Chief Mowan Owo-Ete, and his brother.

    They were killed in the politician’s residence at Asarama, Andoni Local Government Area at about 9am.

    Owo-Ete, a former Vice-Chairman of PDP and ex-Special Adviser to Governor Nyesom Wike on Political Matters, defected to the APC last October.

    The gunmen were said to have scaled the fence of the house and rained bullets on them at close range.

    It was learnt that Owo-Ete had narrowly escaped assassination shortly before the February 16 elections were postponed.

    It was also gathered that a soldier was killed in Abonema

    Rivers Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed through the telephone, the death of the top politician and his elder brother, stressing that personnel of the command were on the trail of the killers, while expressing optimism that they would soon be arrested and prosecuted, to serve as a deterrent to other criminals.

    There  were also sporadic gunshots in  Ubima, Ikwerre LGA of Rivers, hometown Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi; Okrika, hometown of former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan; and Bonny Island making it impossible for the Electoral Officer of INEC in LGA, Eze Ukachukwu, to distribute voting materials.

    Abonnema, hometown of governorship candidate of APC, Pastor Tonye Cole, and his counterpart of Accord Party, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs also had its own share of violence.

    It was gathered that the heavy shootings in Abonnema started on Friday night and continued till yesterday morning, with the intention of scaring INEC officials.

    Information Commissioner Emma Okah, claimed that 15 PDP members were shot dead by soldiers in Abonnema.

    But the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division of Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Maj.-Gen. Jamil Sarham, dismissed Okah’s claim as a lie.

    Maj.-Gen. Sarham, speaking through the division’s Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, said: “Policemen were unable to contain the situation in Abonnema, leading to the deployment of soldiers. Voting could also not start at 2 p.m. in Bonny LGA. The elections in Akuku-Toru and Bonny LGAs will be rescheduled for a later date.”

    Wike hailed INEC for the prompt distribution of electoral materials across Rivers State in yesterday’s elections.

    Rivers governor, who was accompanied to the voting unit by his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzzette, spoke with reporters shortly after voting at his Ward 9, Unit 7, Obio/Akpor LGA of the state at 12 noon, however, blamed the military for the challenges experienced in some parts of the state.

    The Nigerian Army last night confirmed that six people were killed by troops in Abonnema, Akuku Toru local government area of Rivers State.

    Read also: EFCC operatives at INEC collation centre in Lagos

    It also added the Army lost a lieutenant in the encounter when suspected attackers laid ambush for troops at a compound in Abonnema town.

    The spokesman of the Army, Colonel Sagir Musa said in a statement that the attackers barricaded a major road in the town and when troops attempted to clear the debris the attackers opened fire on them.

    Colonel Musa said:”Information reaching Headquarters of Nigerian Army (NA) revealed that troops of 6 Division on a legitimate duty of protecting lives and properties of law abiding citizens and ensuring a conducive environment for peaceful conduct of 2019 General Elections in Abonnema, Akuku Toru Local Government Area (LGA) Rivers State were attacked by some hoodlums.

    “The pre-planned attack occurred in between Charles and Bob-Manuel’s compounds in Abonnema Town at about 1:00pm on the 23rd February 2019.

    “The attackers barricaded a major road into the town and laid an ambush in the adjoining built-up areas from where they opened fire on our unsuspecting troops when they attempted to remove the barricade.

    “The gallant troops fought their way through the siege and in the process killed six of the assailants.  However, we lost a lieutenant in the encounter.

    ” Preliminary investigation indicated that one Roland  Sekibo, – the Chairman Akuku Toru LGA, Omodo – the CSO Akuku Toru LGA and  Kenneth of Kula currently at large were the masterminds of the unexpected/ unprovoked attack.

    “To this end, the NA strongly hereby state that perpetrators of this ambush will be made to face the full wrath of the law.”

    Armed men kill Govt House photographer, PDP chairman in Bayelsa

    A Yenagoa Government House photographer, Mr. Reginald Dei, and a ward chairman of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) Seidougha Taribi were the victims in Bayelsa State.

    They were allegedly killed by armed men in military uniform  at Oweikorogha, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area òf the  State.

    Sources said they were killed in their houses at the close of voting yesterday

    The State Chairman of PDP, Chief Moses Cleopas blamed the APC for the killings.

    Moses had said that thugs identified to be working for the APC with the support of some soldiers had besieged the Bassambiri and Oluasiri axis of Nembe Local Government Area, where they engaged operatives in a shootout all night on Friday.

    According to him, the attackers lost a member in the attack while several others were injured and taken to the Hospital in Ogbolomabiri and Yenagoa.

    He stated further that the rampaging APC thugs hijacked the electoral materials for the seven wards of Bassambiri and Oluasiri to a building for thumb-printing.

    Two killed in Kogi East

    Thugs killed two persons in Anyigba, Dekina local government of  Kogi State while attempting to disrupt voting in the area.

    The victims lost their lives  at the Ajetachi polling unit when thugs stormed the area.

    They were said to have been shooting indiscriminately, killing the victims one of whom was a nineteen year old boy, simply identified as Usman.

    A woman who was on the queue to cast her ballot was seriously injured.

    At Agbeji, thugs who invaded two polling unit tried to force the Presiding Officers (PO) to sign completed result sheets.

    The POs however refused, and took to their heels, resulting in the disruption of the exercise.

  • I have confidence in INEC – Hamzat

    The Lagos State All Progressives Congress, APC, deputy governorship candidate Dr Obafemi Hamzat, yesterday expressed confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Fielding questions moments after casting his ballot at his Ward A4, Unit 2 polling unit, Hamzat said despite the initial hitches, INEC has promised to deliver a free, fair and transparent election.

    At several polling units in Epe, election materials were not delivered until 9am.

    At the Ajaganabe unit, angry voters, most of who had arrived as early as 7.30 am, expressed bitterness at INEC’s shoddy arrangement despite the shift.

    But Hamzat, in suing for people’s understanding, said, being machines, there could be some hitches.

    “What is important is that anyone who came here before 2pm will vote. That is why we are on ground to resolve any challenge that our people may be having concerning this election. We appeal to all people to be patient as they will all be able to exercise their right,” Hamzat said.

    He described the first stage, which is accreditation and voting, as very peaceful, adding that he looked forward to the remaining two stages, which are collating and counting of the votes to be peaceful and orderly.

    On the chances of his party, Hamzat said the APC’s chance at the presidential and other election is very bright.

  • Lanre Razaq commends INEC

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and member of the Governor’s Advisory Council, GAC, Chief Lanre Razaq, yesterday commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for having the courage to postpone the presidential and national assembly elections from upper week to yesterday.

    Razaq was answering questions from newsmen yesterday after casting his vote at Ward A5, Polling Unit 024 at Epe.

    He thanked God for the turnout and the peaceful election. “The turnout was good and at the end of the day, we want to be sure that there is good election.

    “One thing is key in this election. We’ve been around in the last 16 years when the other party ruled. We knew what happened and we knew how they ruled us. Now we have the opportunity to compare what happened in the last four years.

    “Nigeria is better placed on a sound footing of democracy, I want Nigerians to consider that, in voting, if you don’t participate, you don’t have the right to complain. The electorate should go out to vote, search their conscience, and vote the best of the number of presidential candidate we have on the ground. And we know too well that the best of the best is President Muhammad Buhari.

    “Nigeria will be an example of good governance in the nearest future if this man continues for another one term. I have to thank God for one thing, that INEC had the courage to decide the postponement of the election last week instead of going ahead and getting it wrong. We appreciate them for that.”

  • INEC to fix new dates for some part of Rivers

    Election in some parts of Rivers state, have been postponed by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a result of outbreak of violence.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner has been directed to submit situation report.

    Details later

  • Buhari’s Chief of Staff commends INEC

    The Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, on Saturday commended the staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the professionalism exhibited in the conduct of the election process at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

    Speaking with State House Correspondents after voting, Kyari also expressed satisfaction at the large turnout of voters.

    He said that the conduct of voters during accreditation and voting which commenced around 9:20 am at both Villa Polling units of 021 and 022, was impressive.

    Former Senator Khairat Abdulrazaq-Gwadabe, also commended voters for their patience during the process.

    According to her, she brought to the attention of the INEC officials the need to educate the illiterate voters on how to differentiate between the colours of the card for presidential which had red features, black for senatorial and green for the House of Representatives, in order to avoid any mix-up.

    Read also: Borno voters defy bomb scare

    She also expressed dismay that voters arrived before the INEC officials and that they took a longer time than necessary to set up.

    Senator Khairat Abdulrazaq-Gwadabe encouraged those with PVCs that were yet to come out to vote, to do so as the process was safe and peaceful.

    Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) attended to the enthusiastic voters who queued at six different points for the exercise as directed by the officials.

    The son of the President, Yusuf Buhari also participated in the voting process.

  • Pitfalls INEC must avoid today

    The stage is set for the rescheduled presidential and National Assembly elections today. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU highlights the mistakes the electoral agency must avoid during the exercise.

    WILL the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) get it right today? Many Nigerians were taken aback when its chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, who had heightened public expectation, suddenly postponed the exercise last week, five hours to the polls. During the week, he has been bashed by criticisms by aggrieved stakeholders. Four days ago, he assured anxious Nigerians that the operational challenges that warranted the postponement have been resolved. Will the electoral agency avoid previous mistakes and pitfalls that threatened the earlier dates? Will INEC redeem its image today? To observers, the perception about INEC has been altered. The poll is holding in an atmosphere of mutual suspicion and distrust. Tempers rose, following the postponement. There have been uproars, criticisms and counter-criticisms and blame games.

    The general impression was that INEC has been completely compromised by the opposition. The chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, alleged that the umpire had taken sides by allegedly leaking the postponement to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders, even before President Muhammadu Buhari was informed. He complained that the polls had been rigged, ahead of the exercise. Therefore, the postponement was a blessing in disguise for the country. The president was alarmed at the report that got to his table. Burning with patriotic anger, he read the riot act, warning that ballot snatching would attract stiff penalty. His admonition was twisted by the opposition as a direction on ‘shoot at sight.’ But, many have pointed out that ballot snatching is just an element of rigging, stressing that more policing is required during the collation of results. Security agencies have reinforced the presidential directive by asking people to shun unruly behaviours at polling booths or risk sanction.

    Transparent election is the collective responsibility of all stakeholders, including party leaders, flag bearers, electoral officers, security agencies and voters. But, INEC has a duty to organise the elections without compromising ethics. The onus is on the electoral body to refrain from sacrificing the rules of the game and dancing to the tune of the highest bidder. To do the job, the agency was not starved of funds. But, last week’s incompetence had compounded the electoral economy at the expense of the nation. Unlike 2015, security chiefs did not cite any emergency challenge that could necessitate a shift. Many had travelled home for the exercise. Observers had started turning in pre-election reports. During the week, they were asking for the extension of their visa permits. APC candidate President Buhari had gone to his native Daura.

    The journey was in vain. His PDP challenger, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, was also in Adamawa State. It was a day of dreaming. Yakubu, the pilot of the electoral ship of state, said it was sailing to a safe harbour. He was over-confident. The nation took him for his word. Suddenly, the wind started blowing. It was evident that he did not anticipate the turbulence; a failure of scenario building. Electoral pirates have been on the prowl in Anambra and Abia states. Thugs instigated by some political actors invaded INEC offices, burning card readers and creating fresh hurdles for the agency. Some clever and INEC commissioners allegedly told their friends in the opposition party that the polls were not realistic. But, a distressed Yakubu, the captain of the ship, thought that he and the crew could still manage to land safely. The harbour was not far. But, the strength of the ship had dwindled.

    Enveloped in curious optimism and hope, the chairman appeared unperturbed. But, five hours to the polls, reality dawned on him that INEC’s capability to conduct a hitch-free exercise had diminished. The country was enveloped in confusion and anxiety. His explanations fell on deaf ears. It was difficult to rationalise the disappointment and national embarrassment. Explaining his predicament to a bewildered nation, Yakubu attributed the poor performance to logistic problems: 4,695 smart card readers burnt in one state, aircraft conveying sensitive materials could not land in Enugu, capital of Enugu State, due to bad weather; fire outbreaks had burned materials in Anambra, Abia and Plateau states; vehicle loading materials from Taraba State had broken down, and result sheets meant for Edo were shopped to Rivers State. Put succinctly, INEC was overwhelmed by the constraints. Damage control became impossible. After planning for four years, INEC failed and asked Nigerians to take solace in a week of supplementary planning.

    Elections are critical to democratic growth and political stability. They are the only methods for leadership recruitment. But, since pre-independence, polls have been a sort of nightmare. The hiccups have been attributed to technical and human errors. The reasons,according to observers, are not far-fetched. The nature of periodic competition often induces protracted antagonism. That explains why previous electoral battles were fought in an atmosphere of strife, rancour and bitterness in the consistently fragile federation. Almost six decades after independence, ethnicity and religion still occupy a central stage during electioneering.

    They often displace critical factors, including competence and capacity. Nigeria’s elections are remarkable for the tension they periodically unleash. This because many politicians and other stakeholders perceive election as war. In 1959, Nigeria was engulfed in tension over the acrimony among the three main parties-the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC), Action Group (AG) and National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC). It spilled over to 1962 crisis, which culminated in the declaration of emergency in the wild wild West. In 1964, ceremonial President Nnamidi Azikiwe was reluctant to call Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa to form the government because of allegations of electoral malpractices. The polls were conducted by the veteran teacher, Esua.

    In 1965, the monumental electoral fraud during the Western Regional elections led to violence. Many people were killed. Property were destroyed. In1983, old Ondo and Oyo states were in turmoil, following rigging by the notorious National Party of Nigeria (NPN) against the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) during the governorship election. In 2003, former President Olusegun Obasanjo said the election will be a do-ordie affair. It was an understatement. Poll confident Southwest was submerged. Only Lagos State survived the onslaught. In 2007, Maurice Iwu’s INEC built on the sordid record. Losers were declared winners in Ekiti, Ondo and Osun states. The stolen mandates were later retrieved in court. Even, the late President Umaru Yar’Adua acknowledged that he rode on the back of a flawed election to Aso Villa. In 2011, Buhari cried foul, saying that he was shortchanged by INEC. Indeed, 2015 polls were adjudged credible. Thus, Nigeria sought to build on that feat in its thirst for a sane electoral process. Fears were rife that the postponement may dampen public morale, and this may lead to apathy today. Many have even expressed reservations about the prospect of an improvement within a week. Yakubu, who is in the eye of the storm, has, however, reiterated his commitment to a credible process.

    But, the gap between expectation and reality last week had ruptured public confidence. The question is: can INEC avert the lapses? Yakubu nearly compounded the anxiety last weekend when he made an attempt to ban campaigns without first consulting his legal department. But, he quickly corrected himself and extended the campaigns. The first litmus test during this electioneering was the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) distribution. During the week, some candidates were still mounting pressures on INEC to consider an extension. Some presidential candidates complained that the critical exercise was bungled. The scenario created a hollow in the INEC’ scorecard. Owing to the mobilisation and enlightenment campaigns by civil society groups and political parties, many people trooped out for the exercise across the federation.

    But, the voter cards have remained elusive for many eligible voters. But, it should also be noted that in many states, people refused to collect the cards. INEC was making appeals to them for collection. But, Nigerians, however, heaved a sigh of relief when the INEC chairman said over 84 million PVCs had been distributed. To observers, INEC has not learnt from its past mistakes. In 2011, the commission, led by Prof. Attahiru Jega, had thrown the country into chaos before the exercise was stopped abruptly. Ballot papers were unnecessarily wasted at a huge cost to the country. Midway into the poll, INEC was inundated with complaints across the six geo-political zones that the exercise had failed. At noon, voting had not started in many locations. Anxiety heightened. Voters started protesting the shoddy arrangements in some states. The voter’s registers in some locations were fake. They were not available in some polling units. Observers chided INEC officials for laxity and lack of patriotism. Many officials did not report for electoral duty.

    Where electoral officers were available, they were afraid to kick off the accreditation because security agents were absent. The ill-trained ad hoc staff-the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) memberswere confused. Following the cancellation and postponement of the poll, the beleaguered nation was back to square one. However, the rescheduled poll was successful. INEC had opportunities to correct some of these mistakes during the scattered governorship elections in Ondo, Anambra, Ekiti and Osun. In Ondo, Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate Dr. Olusegun Mimiko was robbed at the poll. In Anambra, Peter Obi, the winner, was declared as the loser. In Ekiti, Kayode Fayemi challenged Segun Oni at the tribunal.

    In Osun, Rauf Aregbesola battled to reclaim his mandate from Olagunsoye Oyinlola. The common denomination was that they were robbed by PDP candidates. Instructively, the “odd” elections in these were scattered, owing to the mistake of INEC under Prof. Iwu. However, in 2016, INEC conducted a successful election in Ondo. Also, in Ekiti, there was no cause for alarm. Although the recent Osun poll was inconclusive, the supplementary poll that followed completed the process. INEC under Yakubu has recorded significant improvements. Innovations have been introduced to ensure the sanctity of the ballot box. More prospective voters had been registered. There is an interface between INEC and critical stakeholders.

    Read also: INEC clears Zamfara APC for 2019 polls

    The commission has also asserted its independence by shunning partiality, unlike when it was an extension of the government in the days of Obasanjo. But, Oshiomhole said that assertion is now debatable. Since prevention is better than cure, analysts believe that a postponed election is better than an inconclusive one. However, today is INEC’s second chance. The onus is on the agency to conduct credible and transparent polls. INEC must be weary of its past mistakes and avoid repeating them. This is necessary to avoid a fresh crisis of integrity. INEC must restore public confidence. Bad eggs should be excluded from today’s exercise. The allegation that some INEC staff are agents of political parties should have been investigated. By now, those culpable should have been asked to step aside.

    Result sheets must be available. Any other sheet is counterfeit. The commission will fail the test of credibility, if its officials report late for the assignment at polling units. Not only should the officials report promptly, they should also show up with the required polling materials. Voters will be disillusioned, if they get to the units and there is no electoral officer on ground to attend to them. The ad hoc staff-NYSC membersshould not be subjected to hazards because the country is holding elections. Their welfare should be paramount. The most critical material is the voter register. What is meant for a unit should not be mistakenly taken to another unit. If the names of many voters are omitted from the register, there will be tension on poll day. The implication is that many may be disenfranchised. The early display of the voter register was helpful.

    Through the verification, complaints by candidates, parties and voters were tackled and errors corrected by the commission before the poll. Also, the accreditation hurdle is a recurring decimal. Voters usually raise objections to the late accreditation and voting. Accreditation problem is proportional to the demographic distribution of voters. In densely populated polling units, the exercise may not be completed before 2 pm as stipulated by the law. If the electoral officers report late at their duty posts, the challenge may be compounded. The late arrival of polling officers and electoral materials is worrisome. It should be a punishable offence. In 2011, many voters returned home without casting their ballot because their names were not found in the voter register. INEC tried to tackle this problem in 2015. Unscrupulous electoral officers may also give INEC a bad name. In Anambra, Jega was enraged by the unruly behaviour of some polling officers. He had no alternative than to hand them over to the police for interrogation.

    Also, after the 2015 polls, Yakubu surrendered erring officials for prosecution. Some of them were convicted. There is the need for the electoral body to study and understand the geography of the electoral constituencies. In Taraba, there are voting areas that cannot be reached on time because of the topology. Transportation is challenging. The coastal communities of Ilaje in Ondo State, Ojo and Eti-Osa in Lagos, and Niger Delta creeks require specific preparations. Helicopters and speed boats may be needed to convey polling officers and materials to designated units.

    In Edo State, a drunkard was once hired as a boat driver and there was a fatal accident. Since elections will hold in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, and persons with disabilities will participate, the special nature of election in these areas should be considered. If elections will hold in flashpoints like the Northeast where the Boko Haram insurgents are on the rampage, there will be need for special security arrangement. Elections have become a burden in Nigeria, owing to the combative nature of gladiators who see elections as do-or-die contests. Thuggery and violence are on the increase. How to police the votes is very important. Sometimes, elections are discredited, although the fault cannot be attributed to INEC. The activities of desperate politicians and the misuse of the police may make the contest a sort of war.

    Already, the atmosphere is tense. Security agents should cooperate with INEC officials. Jega had a policing strategy. The INEC boss said that security agents must be in their uniform to avoid the use of thugs who pose as policemen in mufti to intimidate opponents. This policy was sustained in 2015. The method will be good for the rescheduled polls. The greatest challenge is the prevention of rigging by INEC during elections. Electoral fraud, as observed by the president, will expose Nigeria to ridicule in the comity of nations. Thugs and cultists, who are armed with sophisticated weapons beyond the reach of the police, may unleash terror to create panic, molest and scare away voters.

    They may want to invade polling booths and snatch ballot boxes. If this happens, electoral credibility will be in doubt. Enough policemen should be deployed by the new Inspector-General of Police Adamu Mohammad. INEC and security agents should not only be on guard, but on the red alert to avoid the floodgate of litigations that trailed the past electoral foul play. Security agents should also show restraint. They should not molest voters. INEC must guard against the penchant for doctoring election results by politicians, unpatriotic security agents and electoral officials.

    A credible election is a panacea for violence. In earlier dispensations, rigging provoked popular revolt. There are provisions for constitutional protest against rigging in post-election period. But, litigation is also costly. Yakubu has assured Nigerians that all will be well today. He appeared sober when he owned up to INEC’s shortcomings. He has apologised to the country. He maintained that “the essence of the slight postponement was to enable all the states to have full complement of all the required logistics and back up.” INEC is conducting today’s polls with its almost dented image. The success of the exercise may redeem its battered image. Will INEC live up to expectation?

  • Poll postponement and its many aggravations

    FOURS before polling booths opened last Saturday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the rescheduling of the 2019 elections to new dates.

    The presidential and National Assembly polls are probably taking place right now as you read this piece, while the governorship and state legislative polls have been rescheduled for March 9, 2019. There was nothing, not even a suspicion, as this piece was being written on Thursday to indicate that the polls could once again be aborted. The electoral body spoke confidently and convincingly on Wednesday and Thursday that the polls would hold as rescheduled. Nigerians, however, remember that a few days before the polls were originally scheduled to hold, INEC also spoke confidently and soothingly about their readiness for the polls.

    The electoral body is committed to conducting the polls, starting from today. The country wishes them well. But until the polls open and close, no one can pass any judgement on how well they were organised. When they failed the first time on February 16, 2019, not only was harsh judgement passed on them, their failure released a lot of pent-up feelings about politics, power and leadership in the country, with some of those feelings reverberating on tangential issues like due process, rule of law, the role of the military in elections, and policing of elections. The electoral body did its best early this week to dispel as many bad and false notions about their readiness and impartiality, but there is nothing to suggest that the parties and voters repose as much confidence in them as they did before the postponement. Certainly, and surprisingly, the presidency has been the most vociferous against INEC in ways that are far more unprecedented than has ever been witnessed in these parts.

    At a stakeholders’ meeting convened by INEC immediately after the postponement, agents of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), including their chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, were unsparing of the electoral body, which they described as incompetent and compromised. The APC representatives sensed that the public would refuse to believe their claims that the government knew nothing about the postponement, especially going by the example of the previous government of Goodluck Jonathan which seemed to have schemed for a postponement of the 2015 polls in order to secure an advantage over the then opposition APC. The APC agents even briefly called for the resignation of the INEC chairman.

    But when the ruling party convened an urgent national caucus meeting in Abuja on Monday, party leaders seemed to have done more than enough to convince a sceptical electorate and the rest of the country that they knew nothing about the postponement. Indeed, going by their body language and what they thought they sensed from the opposition, APC leaders gave the impression that they were the last to know of the impending postponement. President Muhammadu Buhari was particularly incensed, even allowing himself some incendiary remarks and innuendoes about the electoral body, and making very provocative and unconstitutional remarks about voters and the voting process. Taking a cue from the president’s injured pride, the Department of State Service (DSS) briefly but unwisely and tempestuously waded into the fray by inviting some principal officers of INEC for investigation and interrogation, not minding the disruptive effects of such invitations.

    While the DSS has mollified its irritation, at least for now, there is nothing to suggest that the president has calmed down, his feathers probably ruffled by the fact that he was among the last to know of the decision to postpone the polls. He was very hurt, it seems, but he probably glossed over the fact that INEC might be trying to protect him from allegations of collusion or, at best, connivance. INEC was wrong to have left till very late on Friday the decision to postpone the election, but whether by design or by coincidence, they were right to have insulated the president, indeed the presidency and particularly the APC, from dangerous and unfair barbs. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), either individually or collectively, might have got hint of the postponement of the polls ahead of the APC, but it is hard to see how that confers any advantage on them beyond perhaps the conservation of financial resources.

    The electoral body should have handled the setback far better than they did, and should never have allowed themselves to panic or be overwhelmed by the logistical nightmare that rushed upon them in the dying hours before the opening of the polls; but they were smart and quick enough to have shifted the polls by nothing more than a week. They must now hope that they can deliver on a credible and smooth poll that would confound their detractors and pleasantly surprise their friends and confidants. There are indications that officials of the electoral body have not worked together with the seamlessness expected of them, their ranks having been bifurcated by politics and politicians, and by ethnic and other petty considerations, however, Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC chairman and a professor of political history and international studies, has the gargantuan task of dispelling whatever misgivings still exist about the capacity and cohesiveness of INEC to deliver on a fair election.

    The president may be justified in his rage against INEC — who would not, given the reassurances INEC gave shortly before the polls opened? — but he has not altogether handled his anger with the gravitas and presidential panache expected of him and his office. He was undoubtedly under pressure to convince Nigerians that he did not know anything about the postponement, but he ought to be circumspect about his reaction and careful in weighing his words. In the circumstance, he has unleashed a firestorm of protest among the political class and leader writers of the republic over the measures he announced his government was prepared to take to safeguard a free and fair poll. It is not clear what worried him the more: the postponement of the polls by a week, which is tolerable despite the cost to investors and voters, or achieving peaceful polling, which was not really and overwhelmingly an issue at the time of the postponement.

    By insinuating that poll riggers and disturbers of peaceful polling be shot, the president was both overdramatising the problem and deliberately subverting the laws of the country. No anger and no provocation must ever justify impunity or self-help. The president’s order to the military and the police to deal ruthlessly with electoral offenders virtually gives the security agents licence to use disproportionate force in excess of what the law recommends. No one, not least the president, must ever be allowed to take liberty with interpreting the law far beyond its intendments, simply because they have conjured the threat to the republic in such a manner as to alarm the public and give justifications for extralegal measures.

    The president’s aides have of course doubled down on the president’s order, and consequently there will be no walking back the extraordinary and defeatist measures enunciated at the APC caucus meeting. It is a tragedy for any society to distrust and undermine its own capacity and wisdom to deal with malfeasance by constantly embracing excesses unknown to its own laws. Happily, the electoral body has contradistinctively sworn not to go outside the ambits of the law in policing the elections or interdicting poll offenders. That is how it should be, and the presidency is encouraged to follow this example rather than needlessly dispute the semantics of the controversial order given to the security forces. It is time the country matured and wised up in handling unusual and prickly situations.

    Indeed, rather than vent its spleen so publicly and a little recklessly, the APC should be thankful for the postponement of the polls in the light of reports about the subterranean efforts allegedly made by their chief opponent in the poll to probably subvert popular will. In any case it hardly matters now whether the APC knew about the postponement or not. The elections will hopefully hold, starting from today, and a winner will emerge. If the APC is to win, it should hope that its victory will not be anchored on strong-arming the electorate and alarming the public, but on convincing them that it had done enough in about four years to earn their respect and confidence.

  • INEC clears Zamfara APC for 2019 polls

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the All Progressives Congress in Zamfara State eligible to present candidates for the general elections, following a ruling by the Court of Appeal.

    The APC in the state had previously been barred from presenting candidates for the elections following the internal crisis in the party on account of which it could not carry out its primaries wihin the time span set by INEC.

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Thursday overruled the lower court on technical ground.

    There had been two conflicting rulings from two courts of the same jurisdiction, one sitting in Zamfara and the other in Abuja.

    While the Zamfara court ruled in favour of the ruling party, the Abuja high court ruled against the party, which therefore forced INEC to take a decision.

    However, the Appeal Court ruling on Thursday has changed the narrative as INEC, in a statement signed by the National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said that the commiasion has complied with the court order.

    The statement reads: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has consistently maintained that it will always obey court judgments and orders.

    “ln the case of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State. the Federal High Court Abuja and the Zamfara State High Court issued conflicting orders relating to the participation of the APC in the two strands of elections scheduled for 23rd February and 9th March, 20l9.

    “While the former ruled that the APC, having failed to conduct party primaries, could not field candidates in the said election, the latter decided that it could field candidates, having conducted valid party primaries.

    “However, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Judicial Division on 21st February 2019 set aside thejudgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja for “lack or want of jurisdiction on the part on the lower court.”

    “This, in effect, means that the Zamfam State High Court’s decision that the APC can field candidates for the National Assembly, governorship and State Assembly elections is the only valid and subsisting order.

    “Consequently, the Commission has today, in compliance with the said order, restored the APC to the ballot in the National Assembly, govemorship and State House of Assembly elections scheduled for 23rd February and 9th March, 2019. “

  • INEC and conspiracy theories

    Nothing could be more inexplicable. Listen to the words of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Kwara State, Mallam Garba Mamdami, reportedly speaking in Ilorin on Wednesday before the commencement of the distribution of critical election materials from the office of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to Local Government Areas in the state. According to the REC, “The result sheets for Kwara were found in our FCT office in Abuja and they are going to be sent today. I will be here (CBN) till they bring it. Also the results sheet of Lagos was found here. I have sent it back, that of Lagos was also found in Nasarawa. You can see the reason the election was postponed”. It is of course reassuring that Mamdami said that the noted lapses had been corrected in the state and that the sensitive polls items were already being moved from Ilorin to the far flung Local Government Areas such as Baruten, Kaiama and Pategi as at Wednesday.

    However, against the background of these kinds of revelations across the country,  it is not surprising that assorted conspiracy theories have been espoused attributing the last ditch postponement of last Saturday’s presidential and national assembly elections till today to insider collusion by elements within INEC with external partisan interests to compromise the polls. In its immediate reaction to the postponement, for instance, the PDP and its candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, alleged that INEC acted under pressure from the APC and the presidency whichallegedly envisaged the ruling party’s imminent defeat had the elections gone ahead.

    Another variant of this allegation was that the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmud Yakubu, preferred to postpone the election rather than cave in to alleged pressure from some quarters to hold the exercise in a staggered manner purportedly designed to favour the ruling party. The forceful condemnation of the polls postponement by the APC National Chairman, comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the party’s National Caucus as well as the presidency, however, seriously weakens the plausibility of this thesis. For, they have remorselessly put down INEC as an epitome of organizational inefficiency and incompetence stressing that the electoral umpire had been provided with all the resources it required to deliver effectively on its mandate.

    Oshiomhole has vehemently interrogated the rationale for INEC to have waited till after 2am early on February 16, when most normal people would presumably be asleep, to announce its inability to conduct the elections despite assuring Nigerians virtually every day till then of its readiness for the exercise. And the Minister of State for Aviation, Mr. Sirika Hadi, has debunked the INEC Chairman’s claim that weather challenges were partly responsible for the logistical glitches experienced by the commission in delivering electoral materials to critical destinations on schedule by air.

    Given the colossal socio-economic and psychological costs attendant on the postponement as well as the grave damage once again done to the country’s international image, it is not surprising that President Muhammdu Buhari has stated unequivocally that the incident will still have to be thoroughly investigated after the polls. Indeed, the APC has gone on to allege not only that the main opposition party had penetrated and compromised critical operatives within INEC to help skew the election in its favour but also that the PDP had prior information about the impending postponement, a development which the ruling party insists caught it unawares.

    The onus is certainly on the ruling party to offer credible proof for its allegations. But then, since Atiku had alleged that INEC was pressurized by a jittery presidency to abort the polls from holding last Saturday, what explains the rather tame and seemingly kid glove treatment by the PDP of an electoral umpire it claimed worked in cahoots with the ruling party to truncate its envisaged electoral triumph through polls postponement? The PDP has inexplicably left the APC to vehemently take on INEC on this lapse as if the ruling party was the one in opposition!

    If the allegations by the APC are true, the ruling party must have naively discounted its own oft-repeated mantra as regards the capacity and desperation of corruption to fight back in the face of President Muhammadu Buhari’s unprecedented onslaught against the monster, a war that has claimed the scalp of many a top PDP big shot.

    Of course, one must sympathize with the INEC and its leadership who are operating in a perennially charged political atmosphere of intense competition for the economically beneficial control of state power, a struggle that is all too often difficult to differentiate from war. In such a context, critical state institutions such as electoral, judicial and electoral agencies tend to be inexorably drawn from their supposedly non-partisan heights into the political fray with unsavoury consequences for their credibility and integrity as well as the efficacy and stability of the political system as a whole.

    In the run up to this year’s election, it has hardly surprising that heavy weather has been made by the opposition of the presence of one of the 12 INEC national commissioners, Mrs Amina Zakari, within the top echelon of the commission. This is because of her purported familial relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari. It has not mattered to the critics that her membership of INEC predated Buhari’s ascension to power or that one electoral commissioner in a complex organization like INEC is unlikely to be able to do much to skew electoral outcomes without extensive internal collusion.

    Yes, there should be cause for worry if there is credible suspicion of external partisan interests having access to sensitive insider information through unscrupulous INEC functionaries who violate their oaths of office. But it would appear that the critics have been most unfair to Mrs Zakari after all. It is now obvious that officials from some other parts of the country play roles even more critical than that of this woman in the elections administration process.

    It is noteworthy in this regard that in the cause of investigating the logistical failures allegedly responsible for the postponement of the February 16 elections, the Directorate of State Services (DSS), controversially invited a number of top INEC Staff to interact with its functionaries, an invitation that was later stepped down obviously for political reasons. Those earlier invited include the Director of INEC’s operations and logistics department, Professor Okechukwu Ibeano, Director of Information and Communication Technology, Chidi Nwafor, Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Osaze Uzzi and the Assistant Director of ICT, Bimbo Oladunjoye.

    The allegation that an individual was specifically planted in INEC to manipulate election for some partisan interests certainly did not take into account the organizational complexities of INEC and the details of functional allocation of responsibilities down the line. Unfortunately, the critics are unlikely to apologize to Mrs Zakari. Sure, the commissioners and staff of INEC cannot be recruited from outer space. It is also impracticable to import expatriate functionaries from purportedly neutral international agencies to conduct elections in a country of the size and complexity of Nigeria.

    Functionaries of INEC will necessarily belong to specific ethnic communities, states, regions, religious faiths and cultural entities within Nigeria. They will as human beings and necessarily political animals also have their individual political views and inclinations. How do we then ensure that officials of this critical electoral umpire adhere to their oaths of office and perform their functions devoid of ethno-regional considerations, religious bias or political partisanship?

    First, the terms and conditions of service of such staff must be attractive and generous enough to reduce vulnerability to financial inducement to sabotage elections. Secondly, the cost of violating their oath of office and succumbing to primordial or financial considerations to manipulate elections must be raised to become exceedingly high. Proven cases of election rigging and manipulation at any stage of the electoral process must attract very severe consequence.

    Election rigging enables governments to come to power in utter violation of the genuine will of the people. It is an act of violence that is the equivalent of military coup. Those who indulge in the atrocity must do so fully aware of the dire consequences if they are caught. Only the most draconian measures can help to force our errant Nigerian political elite to embrace attitudes and values conducive to any true transition to modernity. This is why this column is not unduly perturbed at the thought of ballot box snatchers being shot on sight.

     

    Buhari, Atiku and election rigging

    PMB’s directive to the armed forces and security agencies to deal ruthlessly with ballot box snatchers during today’s elections has elicited outrage in some quarters. He has been accused of exhibiting disregard for the rule law and disdain for due process. His critics insist that the Electoral Act provides sufficient penalties for ballot snatching and other forms of election rigging, which is at least two years imprisonment. But if widespread ballot box snatching provokes large scale breakdown of law and order it may be impossible even for courts to sit to enforce the Electoral Act. Draconian measures are needed to bring about some sanity in this regard.

    In siding with critics of PMB on this matter, Atiku gives the impression that he will be soft on election rigging if he is elected President. This brings to mind Atiku’s recent stunning revelation in Lagos that as Vice President, he was the mastermind behind the massive rigging by the PDP of the governorship elections in the South-west in 2003, an onslaught which only Tinubu’s Lagos was able to understand.Unapologetic, Atiku had asked his audience to give him another opportunity to repeat history perhaps on a scale of grander atrociousness. Ballot snatchers will certainly not be unhappy with an Atiku presidency.

  • Our postponement ordeal

    By Precious Igbonwelundu

     

    • Stranded policemen, corps members relive shocking ways they learnt of shifted polls
    • ‘We suffered mosquito bites and queued to poo, bathe at INEC office’
    • We gave them the most attention possible —INEC

    When Sergeant Mustapha Ali (not real names) was deployed to man the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Lagos penultimate Friday, he did not envisage that the task would be so draining. But like the close to 400 other policemen and firefighters drawn from commands and units across the country, he has since been sleeping in vehicles, open spaces, and makeshift mats with his weapon strapped around him.

    The issue, he said, was not much about where to sleep, knowing that they were expected to keep watch round the clock. “The main problem is having to queue up to poo or bathe,” he said. “Imagine more than 400 of us queuing up every morning to use one toilet and bathroom.

    “I can tell you that some people have not had their bath since that Friday. I pity the women among us the most. I cannot even begin to think about how they are coping. There are too many mosquitoes here. Just too many.

    “Another bad thing is that INEC has not provided food for us since the election was postponed. We were fed yam and stew on that Friday morning when we arrived the office, and then Eba in the afternoon. Since then, no one has asked how we feed.

    “Before now, they used to pay N50,000 during governorship election duty, but it was N35,000 we got this time around. It is from that amount I have been buying food from the vendors around. I heard that INEC was supposed to pay us N1,000 a day as feeding allowance, but till today (Wednesday), I have not received a kobo.

    “It was challenging to get food on Sunday because the women selling did not come out. Our colleagues serving in Lagos later went out and brought food towards the evening, and that was what we ate.”

    Another policeman identified simply as Inspector Bade, who was deployed to Agege part of Lagos for the election, said he had to trek from there to his home in Mushin (about five kilometres) after the election was postponed.

    “I was deployed to Agege for the election and I got to the place around 8 pm. There were other officers there. It was around 1:30 am that we heard they had postponed elections. Some people whose houses were not far away left while the rest of us around slept in the open air. As a policeman, I am used to that, so, it was not a problem. Where I faced a challenge was going back to my house. There were no vehicles, so, I trekked from Agege to Mushin.

    “A signal was later sent that all the rank and files should remain in the areas they were deployed while officers from the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) should return to their units.”

    During a visit to INEC’s head office, our correspondent observed the presence of a lot of policemen, including those from the Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Special Protection Unit (SPU), Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and the Explosives Ordinance Disposal (EOD).

    Also observed was an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), two Black Maria vans from the Lagos State Taskforce, an OP MESA patrol vehicle with about five soldiers and a Major in it. There were no officers of the Nigerians Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on sight nor those of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).

    While the police operatives described sleeping inside vehicles and open spaces infested with mosquitoes as normal, members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) subjected to similar treatments would have none of it. The corps members were further petrified by the alleged lack of empathy from INEC and the NYSC who they claimed provided neither food nor shelter and did not pay their allowances.

    Findings carried out by The Nation revealed that the corps members were entitled to N4,500 three-day training allowance payable on arrival at the training centre called RAC (Registration Area Centre), but INEC did not keep to the agreement. Corps members who expressed their displeasure said some of their colleagues could not leave the RACs last Saturday morning because they were cash trapped and hoped that INEC officials would turn up to pay them.

    “I know of a lady who did not want to go home because she said she had spent all the money on her to get to the RAC in the hope that INEC or NYSC officials would come there but no one showed up. Not even an apology until we started the e-petition,” said one of the corps members posted to Epe in Lagos.

    According to her, the officials were to pay training allowances at the RACs a day to the election but they neither showed up nor apologised for disappointing the corps members.

    “Apparently, our sleeping outside was in vain. We have to sleep outside again to be able to get funds for the actual elections. The training allowance was N1,500 each for the three-day training, but we had eight days in all with INEC. Aside from the training which were started during CDS (community development service), we were given three days of training.

    “There was another day for sensitisation, another day for swearing the oath of neutrality and another day for being present at the RAC. In total, we had to meet them eight times, but only three days of training counted. I was told that the total sum for each election is N13,000.

    “I should go to the queue to collect N4500? I am still wondering why it cannot be paid to our accounts. I see it as another way not to pay everyone because a lot of people will not want to go and queue up for N4,500. We were not given food or snacks,” she said.

    Contrary to claims by NYSC that participation was voluntary, The Nation gathered that corps members were threatened with the extension of service year or withholding of their discharge certificates if they failed to turn up for the exercise. It was also said that the service had assured them of better accommodation and welfare packages had been emplaced for those who would be deployed for the elections.

    A corps member deployed in Kogi State, who pleaded anonymity, said they were made to wait from 10 am to 7:14 pm at the INEC head office on that Friday before Polling Officers (POs) were called forward to assist their Supervisory Presiding Officer (SPO).

    She said her SPO gave her and others assigned to her N4,000 feeding and transportation allowances when the elections were postponed.

    The corps member said: “We were conveyed in two buses to the Registration Area Centre (RAC) which is a Secondary School in Ogale Aduge, where the SPO distributed materials to all Pos. I helped my PO in the collection of the sensitive and insensitive materials for the two voting points.

    “We could not share the materials among APOVPs because before we finished receiving from the SPO, it was some minutes to 5 am on Election Day, so all the materials were returned as received.

    “Mats were made available for us to sleep on, but we could not. We received all the materials, which made the work very hectic. When the SPO announced that the election had been postponed till February 23, I was devastated and angry because of all my efforts.

    “He apologised for the inconveniences and asked us to return the materials given to us. We did and we were all paid transport and feeding allowances of N4,000 by the SPO.”

    Narrating her ordeal, Opeyemi Adeleke, a corps member posted to Badore in Ajah area of Lagos, said: “We found our way to Ajah. They told those that were going to Amuwo Odofin from Eti Osa that there would be a bus, but I do not know if they followed through.

    “Some people were told to assemble by 9 am, others 12 pm, 3 pm and 4pm. They said we should assemble on time because they would come to address us and share sensitive materials by midnight. That was why a lot of corps members got to their RACs early on that day.

    “I was to be an Electoral Officer at Badore and we were to assemble at Addo Primary School to get our sensitive materials. I got there and everywhere was a blackout. People sat on their benches, waiting. It was too hot and dark, so we had to sit in the open space.

    “It was around 11 pm that some officials came to switch on the light, which again went off soon after. Even the NYSC camp was not this terrible. That was the least they should have done. Rumours started flying out that the election might be postponed.

    “So, we were all awaiting midnight when they would share the sensitive materials, but around 2 am, the security man came and told us to start going because the election had been postponed. It was apparently too late at that time, so we had to sleep.

    “When a friend woke me up at 5:30 am, other corps members had already left. I was warned by my family members not to leave. I called an Uber vehicle only for policemen to start stopping us at that time of the morning for reasons we did not know. I was livid.

    “I got home and cried. I could not tell my parents about it until today, because they would be disappointed. So, assuming the election was not postponed, we would have been silent about that inhuman treatment that, at least, we were paid N13,000. But the fact that everything was a waste and we all have to go through that all over again, is probably more of the pain.

    “I took my toothbrush, paste, towel and soap along, but where could we have bathed? Maybe at the open space of the school.”

    For Blessing Pelumi, the experience was horrific. She lamented the fact that they became a meal for mosquitoes.

    “The experience of that Friday night was very bad. There was no security, no provision for shelter. It really sucks. I am not willing to participate again. I slept outside and was left for mosquitoes to feed on.”

    For Richard Olorunfemi, to say the experience was horrible would be an understatement. He said he slept on a bench that was half his size in a classroom ravaged by mosquitoes. He also said he spent more than N10,000 on transportation, feeding and other logistics involved in meeting up with the training and the earlier proposed election day.

    He said: “Initially, we were supposed to have just a two-day training and were paid N4,500 as training allowance. However, we had extra three days training without any increment on the training allowance.

    “No one knows for sure what we will get for the job, but there have been rumours that the total amount for both the February 23 and March 9 elections will be N30,500, including the N4,500 training allowance.

    “We were made to sign some forms, including interest and oath forms, on separate days. Also, we went to the National Stadium for sensitisation. It could have been better if all this was done on a single day without subjecting corps members to extra stress and expenditure.

    “I worked as INEC ad-hoc staff in the 2015 general elections when I was a UNILAG (University of Lagos) student. I see it as a way of contributing my quota to the development of Nigeria. I am willing to participate again, but I have to reiterate here that I am highly demoralised with the conduct of both INEC and NYSC.

    “They should both have issued official apologies on our ill-treatments and the eventual postponement of the polls. We do not do this for the meager money they want to pay. We do it for the visions we crave- a better Nigeria.”

    Timilehin Falade said he arrived at the RAC centre at Surulere and could not sleep because the place was not conducive.

    “I stayed up all night watching a movie and just gisting with the few people I met there. I would still participate because I am sure there is no replacement for those of us who may want to opt-out, and I hate disappointing people.

    “There was no proper welfare for the ad-hoc staff. People slept on the floor in mosquito-infested areas and there was no security at all. The allowances have not been paid yet; just the training fee,” said Falade.

    Tosin Adedeji said no INEC official came to their RAC until 11 pm when one was sighted and the official later disappeared.

    “The major stress was no mattresses, no toilet and no food. But I will still participate for the good of the country.”

    A corps member in Ebonyi State, Temitope Babalola, who was deployed in Ikwo village, said she did not eat until 11 pm on that day because she was running around to identify her RAC and meet up with the INEC meeting.

    “At Ikwo, names of POs, APO, VP, APO1, APO2, APO3, did not come out on Thursday as they ought to be. They came out on Friday morning. We were at INEC office early on Friday and I found my name around 8 am. Then we were asked to be at INEC office by 12 pm, which we did.

    “We did not prepare well. We did not cook because market women opened late. When we got there, we were told it is now 2 pm, and we stayed. Later on, we were told it would be 4pm, and we were very hungry. We were attended to at 6 pm.

    “We all met with our SPOs. Later on we were asked to gather by 8:30 pm for reasons we did not know. The time elapsed and they didn’t call us. The environment was now very cold. Majority of us did not come with blankets. There was too much mosquito bites.

    “I had to go home around 11 pm because I could not bear it anymore. I was tired. Later on, I heard that the election had been postponed. Everyone protested. We had to collect our allowances.

    “Majority of us are down with illnesses now due to the effect of the cold and mosquito bites. It was a terrible experience.”

    Another corps member, who asked not to be named, said no one came to address them at the RAC they converged on in Mushin, adding, “There was no provision for lunch or dinner. I was shocked. I least expected this from Nigeria. We were not given money at all.”

    Our correspondent gathered that rather than address the issues raised by corps members in Lagos, the NYSC on Monday set up a panel on youth corps members posted to Surulere whose pictures of their sleeping environment went viral on the social media. Twelve of the corps members were invited for a meeting with NYSC and INEC officials only to discover that they were deceived to come to the headquarters to face a panel.

    While others ended up begging for forgiveness, it was gathered that about four, including a lawyer who started an e-petition and a lady that granted interview to a news media, were issued queries for ‘inciting protests.”

    Although calls made to NYSC State Coordinator, Mohammed Momoh, went unanswered, it was gathered that he had issued a statement appealing for calm among corps members. Momoh in the statement said the NYSC had already registered its protest to the Resident Electoral Commissioner for INEC in the state on the treatment of corps members at the RACs.

    “Corp members who called the state coordinator and their LGIs will attest to the fact that we were up throughout the night attending to complaints of corps members, especially those that could be immediately remedied while others were noted for the attention of the REC.

    “Do not allow yourself to be used to compound the challenge facing the nation. Rather, I enjoin you to be part of the solution. I wish to refrain all patriotic corps members from being part of the protest. We will do our best through constant engagement with INEC, Lagos State to ensure improvement at the RACs,” Momoh said in the broadcast addressed to corps members in the state.

    Contacted for reaction on the allegations against INEC in Lagos, the spokesman, Olufemi Akinbiyi, said it is not true that policemen were not fed or provided the daily allowance of N1,000 promised them.

    On the issue concerning corps members, he said efforts were on to ascertain the best payment method for their allowances, adding that the agency was trying to prevent a situation whereby money would be paid into their accounts and some of them would not turn up to perform the duties.

    He said: “On the issue of their money, Lagos State is a cashless society, so, there is a limit to the amount of cash the commission can carry. We had a meeting with the leadership of the NYSC yesterday (Tuesday) to find out how to pay the money to them. They suggested payments into their accounts but we are still discussing to see the best option.

    “We want to avoid the situation where we will pay it into the account of those that will not work. So, those issues are there. It happened in 2015, we paid into the accounts of names given to us but many of them did not work. The corps members’ money are available but we are working out the mode of payment.

    “We are planning to see those that are willing to work so that we have the number and details. Those that have worked will be paid definitely.

    “We are using primary and secondary schools where they ought to stay overnight, so it is not as if we are going to rent hotels for them. This is not the first time. They were provided with water and light, what else do they want?”

    Police Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, an Assistant Commissioner (ACP), was also contacted on concerns raised by some of the policemen and he said he was unaware of any promises by INEC and does not work for the commission.

    Mba said most policemen have been paid their allowances and that those who were yet to receive theirs must be as a result of technicalities arising from mistakes in filling their forms, which were being rectified.

    He said: “But I know generally, policemen have been paid their allowances, and you can go out on the field and investigate. So, if there are police officers who have not been paid, it might be as a result of technical issues. Maybe, the person did not fill his or her form thoroughly or a mistake was made while the person was turning in his or her form in his own account particulars.

    “If you do a sample in the field, and you discover that the buck of police personnel cutting across both junior and senior ranks have been paid, then you must know that whoever has not been paid must have reasons, probably a mistake.

    “Such things are correctable. So, the few people who have not received their allowances have already been directed to fill form so that those things can be rectified.”