Ahead of next week’s federal elections, Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor, examines the readiness of the Professor Attahiru Jega-led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to conduct a credible election for Nigeria and Nigerians.
Following the unexpected shift in the dates of the general election earlier fixed for February 14th and 28th by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the announcement of March 28th and April 11th, many Nigerians have been wondering if the Professor Attahiru Jega-led electoral body would still be able to deliver on its earlier promise to conduct a free, fair and credible election for Nigeria and Nigerians.
Mounting concern over how ready and able INEC will be when it is finally time to hold the election next Saturday, peaked after the postponement when a barrage of criticism descended on the commission over the distribution of the Permanent Voters Card, security, internally displaced persons as well as its decision to use the card reader during the rescheduled polls.
Although there have been talks about these issues before the shift, opposition to Jega’s headship of the commission increased drastically in the days that followed what many observers claimed was an arm-twist of INEC by the authorities leading to the postponement of the election. This led many people to wonder if Jega and his men are still positioned to give Nigerians the election they crave.
And in a statement that heightened the fears of many over the forthcoming elections, Jega himself, last Wednesday, said there are still a few security concerns hovering over the 2015 general election. The INEC boss, who spoke at a situation room dialogue session at Transcorp Hilton hotel in Abuja, said his meeting with security chiefs revealed there is still much to be taken care of ahead of the elections.
“Yesterday, I had an opportunity to brief security agencies and we received assurances that they were doing everything to provide security. There are still a few concerns and challenges which will be addressed with security agencies. There has been progress with the security agencies in getting rid of insurgents and there are three local government areas (LGAs) left to rid insurgents.
We are working together with security agencies to get rid of thugs identified in states. We have emphasised the protection of ad-hoc officials with security agencies and they have assured us progress has been made,” Jega said.
Much have been said about the precarious security situation in some parts of the country by those opposed to Jega’s insistence on going ahead with then election in spite of fresh clamour for another postponement in some quarters. Those calling for a new shift in the dates of the election are hinging their demand largely on the insecurity in the northeast and the need to ensure that people are not disenfranchised.
But Jega same day assured Nigerians that internally displaced persons (IDPs) would vote in the coming elections, adding that the commission has deployed necessary materials for the election.
“We have plans on the ground for IDP voting. We have designated secure places for IDPs to vote,” he said. We have procured and deployed sensitive and non-sensitive materials,’ he said.
Fierce opposition, supportive electorate
Beyond promises, there is a lot on pressure on the Jega led team to conduct credible elections. This is because having enjoyed the support of majority of Nigerians amidst sustained opposition to his stay in office and plans, the INEC boss owe the nation nothing short of a good performance.
Jega is heading towards the next polls amidst fears that he may be asked to vacate his position anytime. While those canvassing for his removal are unrelenting, Nigerians have been dogged in speaking up for him, warning the government against asking the Kano-born scholar to proceed on terminal leave or any such moves.
Leading the band of the ‘Jega-must-go’ agitators, elder-statesmen, Chief E.K Clark, Senator Femi and ex-Governor Chuckwuemeka Ezeife, had as early as February this year, called on Jonathan to send Jega packing.
Speaking under the aegis of Southern Nigerian Peoples Assembly, SNPA, they called for the sack and arrest of the INEC boss on allegation that Mr. Jega directed the release of the Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, to emirs, district heads and some unnamed top politicians in the North.
The group, which is rooting for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan, claimed the development was the reason for the huge success in the distribution of the PVCs in the North while not much was achieved so far in the South.
Clark and others claimed that the INEC Chairman, , through one of his National Commissioners, discussed strategies and modalities for enthroning a President of Northern extraction through vote rigging, with some northern leaders.
In addition, Jega, according to them, reportedly directed the release of PVCs in their catchment states to Emirs, District Heads and top politicians and not necessarily to the voters themselves. It was also alleged that the Northern Elders Forum obtained and distributed 150 pieces of laptops to INEC for each of the Northern states.
“This accounted for nearly 100 per cent PVC collection rate, especially in the North West states, as compared with less than 50 per cent collection rate in the Southern states. This is the reason why Lagos State, with a sophisticated population of over 5.2 million, has not been distributed more than 2.5 million PVCs,” the group said back then.
Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) joined in the demand for Jega’s sack, alleging he is bias and unfit to preside over the forthcoming election. The group staged a peaceful protest in Umuahia, Abia State capital, marching through major streets in the city and chanting pro-Biafran songs.
They said Jega should be removed because of his alleged secret parley with the North to conduct the Presidential poll in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari.
Not long after, the head of the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC), Gani Adams, has called for the immediate sack of the INEC Chairman. Adams, an ally of President Goodluck Jonathan, said Jega has failed to explain how INEC was able to successfully distribute 90 per cent of PVC in North East despite the insurgency in the region.
“I Otunba Gani Adams is using this forum to call for immediate sack, removal or retirement of Professor Attahiru Jega, the chairman of INEC on the basis of PVC distribution, introduction of card reader and creation of 30000 bogus and fraudulent polling units in the northern part of Nigeria against the southern part,” he said.
The OPC leader said the various actions of the INEC chair would have earned him an immediate removal and sack in other parts of the world. While calling for Mr. Jega’s sack, Mr. Adams urged the federal government to begin the search for a new INEC chair. “The new chair can come from anywhere. He can come from the north or south. I’m not choosing for the President, but Jega should go” he said.
Earler, the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, also a major ally of the president, has voiced his support for Jega’s sack. According to him, INEC needs a new helmsman who will ensure the conduct of credible elections in the interest of the country.
“President Goodluck Jonathan can sack Jega if he wishes and if he does, heavens will not fall,” Fayose said reacting to the local and international condemnations that have trailed the alleged plan to remove the electoral chief.
But Jega has remained on his seat as the commission’s boss, largely owing to the support he enjoys from the populace. Counting on his popularity amongst the people, the INEC chairman said he would not heed calls on him to quit his job ahead of the elections.
He said, “I have heard of the several calls for me to be removed. In fact, I am aware that some groups have been protesting. Well, I have a job to do and I will do it. Nobody has asked me to resign and all of us at INEC are focused on ensuring that this election is free and fair.”
TVC, PVC, card reader and other matters
Aside the distracting calls for his removal or resignation, Jega is also struggling to overcome some severe objections to his plans ahead of the elections. One of such is the sudden recourse in some quarters to the demand for the use of the Temporary Voters Card (TVC) as against the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) the commission intends should be used.
The other is the outright rejection of the card readers introduced by the electoral commission on several grounds by those opposed to its use during the next general election.
The Coalition for Democratic Nigeria (CDN) in a recent statement, called on Jega should allow for the use of Temporary Voters Cards (TVCs) for those unable to get their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) owing to INEC’s shoddy preparation.
The group said it is not interested in Jega’s removal as INEC boss but worried over the fate of millions of Nigerians who are yet to collect their PVCs, the only criteria for voting in the elections.
“Eligible voters are all those whose names are in the INEC voters register and possess the genuine voter’s cards, whether permanent or temporary. Millions of PVCs have either been stolen or misplaced by INEC or distributed to wrong places, or collected by people other than the owners or not supplied, or not even printed yet.
We therefore align ourselves with those who have properly advised INEC to allow the use of the PVCs and the card readers for those who have PVCs, and the use of the TVCs for those who do not have PVCs. However, if Prof. Jega cannot guarantee this acceptable minimum, he should please step aside for somebody else who will do it,” the group argued.
Even President Goodluck Jonathan came out order INEC to ensure that all Nigerians get their Permanent Voter Card (PVC). Jonathan who spoke while swearing in INEC National Commissioner representing Oyo State, Professor Akinola Murtala Salau, noted that election cannot be conducted when some people cannot vote.
“Talking about the PVC, even some governors are complaining that they are yet to get their PVC. If governors are yet to get their voters cards, of course that means that so many Nigerians are yet to get and people are a bit worried. But to me I’m not pleased”, he said.
The PDP on its own part, want INEC to address complaints surrounding the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) across the states. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, demanded that INEC should look into the lopsided distribution of the PVCs and the issue of denial of PVCs to non- indigenes in some states.
Presidential Campaign Office of President Goodluck Jonathan on its part, . the Director of Media and Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party Campaign Organisation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, vowed to resist the use of card readers if it will jeopardise the ambition of its principal.
Fani-Kayode alleged that he was aware that the APC, with the connivance of some unnamed members of staff of INEC, is planning to use the card readers to frustrate accreditation of voters in some states.
The former Minister of Aviation said, “Our position on the card reader remains that the machine has not been tested in any election and there are bases for genuine concern over the use of the machine, for the first time, in a crucial election of this magnitude.
We are aware of the plot by the APC, working in cahoots with some strategically placed and retrogressive elements, to use the card readers to frustrate accreditation in some parts of the country while not enforcing strict use of the machine in some other parts.”
He added that “the truth is that if they go ahead with that wicked plot, the APC and its collaborators will only be preparing the ground for mass resistance.They can be rest assured that we will not sit by idly and allow such a thing to unfold.”
But Jega blamed political parties for shirking their responsibility of sensitising the public to the need for them to collect their PVCs.
He said, “Many usually think it is only INEC that should be sensitising people that they need to collect their PVCs but this is not correct. Political parties have the mandate and responsibility to sensitise voters to pick their PVCs because, if people collect or do not collect, it will affect their electoral fortunes.”
Jega assured Nigerians that INEC had put in place, some stringent measures to prevent multiple voting in the elections. He said that the time lapse between the accreditation and voting exercise was aimed at restricting movement of voters from one polling unit to the other and also ensuring that people did not vote more than once.
“Multiple voting is unfortunately the factor that has bedevilled many voting exercises in Nigeria.This problem is posed by politicians who pay voters to vote many times or plan to snatch ballot boxes once the voting exercise starts.
But the time lapse will ensure that voting takes place and ends in the various polling units at the same time and voters who want to engage in this fraudulent act will not be able to move around.”
But his position was not enough to stop the anti-PVC vanguards from heading to the Court in search of an injunction that will force Jega to allow the use of the TVC during the general elections.
Specifically, the plaintiff is seeking a declaration that by virtue of sections 77(2) and 117(2) of the Constitution, INEC, has no power to deprive any Nigerian who is eligible to vote at the election, the chance to vote on the ground of non possession of the PVC.
It is urging the court to order INEC to allow the use of the temporary voter cards issued legally to Nigerians in 2011 along with the permanent voter cards in order not to disenfranchise over 20 millions electorates yet to access their permanent cards.
It maintained that the use of both cards would enable all eligible Nigerians to vote in the election and thus make the process more free, fair and credible. The suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/06/15 is also seeking for an order of court to compel INEC to allow anyone with a voters’ card, either temporary or permanent, to vote, as long as it was duly issued by the electoral body.
But last Thursday, the Court ruled out suit. Justice Abdulkadir Abdul-Kafarati, struck out the suit following the application of discontinuance filed by the group .
The counsel to the group, Mr Olatunji Salawu, said the suit withdrawn had been overtaken by events because of the latest developments of wider distribution of PVC, pointing that there was no need to continue with the suit . With that, the fear that the legal action could stall or disrupt Jega’s plan for the election were laid to rest.
Ready umpire?
But in spite of all the criticisms and odds he is having to cope with as he set about giving Nigeria what he called the best election ever, Jega appears unshaken and determined in his belief that the INEC under his watch will make Nigerians proud when the elections are eventually conducted.
Sounding determined to be his own man before during and after the polls, he recently confirmed that soldiers will not be at polling units during the election, adding that soldiers would only be invited if there is a breakdown of law and order.
“There will be no soldiers at the polling unit. The army is not supposed to be visible at any polling unit. What we have had is three unarmed policemen manning a polling unit, while three armed policemen stay 300m away from the polling unit. We have never had policemen at polling units. The role of the military, as defined in the constitution, is for the military to provide support to civil authorities if there is a breakdown of law and order,” he said.
On the state of preparedness of INEC for the elections, Jega said: “We have done everything possible to ensure that the elections are free and fair. We are adequately prepared to deliver free, fair and credible elections and we are sure the election will be better than that of 2011.”
Regarding the use of card readers, Jega stated that they would add tremendous value to the electoral process, adding that he felt confident that no cloned card would work. “Without the use of card readers, the accreditation of registered voters will be prone to alterations,” he argued.
While charging Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) to be steadfast in the face of distractions, the INEC boss said the Commission would ensure that it settles for nothing but the best elections. “It is important that we also remain focused in terms of delivering the best election for our country. There are a lot of things to distract us but we need to remain focused and resilient,” Jega said, Friday, at a meeting with RECs, held at the Commission’s headquarters.
“We need to do everything possible to make sure that the elections scheduled for March 28th and April 11th are indeed substantially much better than those we conducted in 2011 and the subsequent bye-elections in some states,” the INEC boss added.
But in spite of the many promises of a credible poll by Jega and his men, Nigerians are willing to wait cautiously with bated breadth till the new dates of the reschedule polls to see if the electoral body will live up to its promises.
