One of the most discussed issues in Nigeria is the root of jinxed, flawed and inconclusive elections. Since the 1914 amalgamation, unforeseen man-made odds have starred as a rock of Gibraltar on the advancement of Nigerian democracy. Today, there is unending blame game between hatchet writers loyal to defeated politicians and the image makers of INEC on the lingering issue. While the former’s strategy involves the use of anti-democratic “scud missiles” to pound and discredit the image of the electoral umpire, the latter equally station their “patriot missiles” to contain the “scud missiles”. To them, the barrage of vilifications against the umpires is a clear manifestation of pull him down (Phd) syndrome or goat scientism, an incurable culture by critics and some defeated politicians who see nothing good in what other Nigerians are doing. This is exactly what makes the cross of umpires a unique matter.
In fact, archival and historical records aver that since Nigerian independence, almost all of the chairmen of the Electoral Management Body (EMB) have been unjustly crucified on the cross, a symbolic Jewish structure used as an instrument to execute those condemned to death. This was why President Obasanjo opined that even if a divine being presides over Nigeria’s election, his verdict will still be rejected by the loser. While defeated politicians lampooned the electoral verdict of R.E.Wraith (OBE), University College of Ibadan Public Administration lecturer on the 1959 pre-independence election, those who lost during the 1964 post elections equally hounded the Chief Eyo. E Esua- led Electoral Commission of Nigeria (ECN). History repeated itself as defeated politicians bashed and rejected the 1979 electoral verdict by Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO) led by top bureaucrat, Chief Micheal Ani. The 1983 electoral verdict of Justice Victor Ovie Whiskey, a Rtd. High Court Judge, met the same crucification. In 1987, undue pressures and irreconcilable differences made Prof. Eme Awa to resign as chairman of National Electoral Commission.
This unforeseen development brought Prof. Humphrey Nwosu to the centrestage with his innovative Open ballot system (DBS) aka Option A4. The lessons of history fell on deaf ears as some political actors that were eliminated at the grassroots bitterly criticized the system as outdated. The outspoken Professor was later blackmailed and silenced after the annulment of his June 12 election that declared Chief MKO Abiola as winner. When the ensuing political jigsaw brought Prof. Okon Uya to the scene, critics also dismissed his brief transitional tenure.
The only electoral body which presumably received the justified bashing of Nigerians was National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) headed by Chief Summer Dagogo Jack. Although the top retired civil servant was severely castigated for presiding over Abacha’s inglorious self-succession, it is ironic that several Nigerian politicians played ignominious roles in championing the transmutation project via the Daniel Kanu-led Youths Earnestly Ask for Abacha (YEAA) one million march. Despite the efforts of Justice Ephraim Omeserre Ibukun Akpata’s newly constituted Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to pacify all interests during the 1999 elections, Nigerian critics still blackmailed him as a stooge that installed a party that had the sympathy of the outgoing military government.
At the heat of the blackmail against INEC, Justice Akpata philosophically prayed “I hope by the grace of God that I will leave this commission with my name unsoiled”. Dr. Abel Guobadia, who replaced him, was not spared despite his innovative efforts like geographic information system that upgraded the information technology and communication of INEC ICT department. The unending search for scapegoats continued under Prof. Maurice Iwu.
Instead of accolades for the umpire who expanded the democratic space by registering 50 political parties and achieved the first civil-to-civil transition in Nigerian electoral history, the internationally acclaimed scientist was hounded by the caustic tongue of Iwu Must Go campaigners. Prof. Attahiru Jega did not escape the UmpiresMust Go syndrome when critics almost frustrated his planning, implementation and announcement of 2011 and 2015 elections for durable democracy to reign supreme. Since Prof. Mahmood Yakubu the new umpire came on board, he has remained on the radar of the unrepentant critics who subjectively harped on inconclusive elections. But, must the Prof. Yakubu-led INEC be blamed for inconclusive elections that followed his appointment? Facts abound that before Yakubu’s tenure, inconclusive elections happened in 2011 in Imo and Bauchi states, Anambra in 2013, Abia and Taraba in 2015.
Thus, the current inconclusive but later concluded elections is not due to INEC’s ineptitude but influenced by the emergence of stronger parties and powerful opponents who are desperate to win through Machiavellian orthodoxy. This was why James Entwistle, United States Ambassador to Nigeria, posited that the failure of politicians to adhere to the principles of nonviolence leads to disruption of elections. Prof. Yakubu corroborated this popular view when he told the Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Group’s civil society/stakeholders roundtable that inconclusive elections are fueled by the do or die desperation of most politicians to win election through massive irregularities, violence, intimidation, bribery etc.
For our democracy to grow, the unfair and unverified character assassination and insults on the umpires must be checkmated. These brickbats and castigation are not only misleading and painfully fraudulent, they are mere yellow journalism concocted by hired hatchet writers to pacify the whims and caprices of their paymasters.
It is quite unfortunate that once a hitch occurs in any election, the umpire is crucified on the cross by the disputation of election winners and losers who love to hate or hate to love the umpires’ verdict. What the sworn critics of INEC must note is that no electoral system is perfect and the only place you can have a flawless election is in heaven. Because of electoral imperfections, each nation has learnt how to carry and bear the cross of democracy.
The electoral fiasco that reared its ugly head in Florida during George Bush’s election, recent alleged Russian interference in United States elections, shortage of electoral materials in British elections, and jinxed elections in African nations like Kenya, Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe, Togo, Congo etc are clear examples that flawless democracy can only happen in heaven. We are witnesses to how several Nigerian elections outside the confines of INEC ended in disgraceful fiasco, cross carpeting and factionalization. INEC did not organize the various party primaries that produced anointed candidates via godfathers’ selectocracy. INEC did not conduct the 2015 jinxed Governors Forum elections that produced the Presidency-backed Jonah Jang and New PDP-backed Rotimi Amaechi.
The results of undemocratic elections conducted by state electoral bodies are better seen than described here. Nor did INEC organize the 2015 disgraceful Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) election where both factions threw chairs and tore electoral materials into irreparable shreds. Moreover, the various jinxed elections that factionalized Nigerian organizations like Town, Youth, Women, Academic, Student, Market, Medical, Oil related unions and associations , including the recent chaotic elections in Nigerian sports federations, were not conducted by INEC. It becomes more painful when leadership elections of holy religious organizations are equally jinxed by manipulations and unholy conspiracies.
Iwuajoku is the Founder of Defenders of Durable Democracy (DUDEM).
Thus, orchestrated attacks on umpires and their policies by armchair critics is not the panacea to the sustenance of durable democracy nor will it advance the realization her manifest destiny as giant of Africa and leader of the black world. The expose by His Excellency Donald Duke Ex Governor of Cross River State On How Governors Rig Elections and lack of political spirit of sportsmanship clearly absolved INEC of the blames. Moreover, crossing the Rubicon of Nigerian electoral cross is not easy. In the run-up to any election, the hands of umpires are often tied and the volatile political polity terrain and landscape is polluted with multifarious stumbling blocks, unforeseen hitches, booby traps and deadly political manipulations like rigging, mudslinging, blackmails,. inadequate security; kidnapping, thuggery, violence, and death of INEC officials. Others includes inadequate and delayed funding; lack of continuity in our electoral management process; sabotage via litigations, judicial indictment and injunctions; partisanship by compromised foreign observers, activists, cynical media and civil society groups; and Illiteracy which made most politicians to neglect INEC guidelines on hitch free internal democracy for obnoxious aspects of Al Green’s 48 laws of power and Machiavelli’s Prince on do or die politics. In fact, INEC job should not be treated as a thankless job. The time has come for critics to stop using any slightest opportunity to heap unverified and underserved accusations on umpires. Shortcomings of few fifth columnists in INEC should not be used as excuse by loser’s interest to frustrate our nascent democracy. After all, the sins of these INEC workers were masterminded by politician’s lobby ad undue influence. The electoral management bodies must be encouraged because their selfless and patriotic contributions immensely aided the growth and sustenance of our nascent democratic transition which installed all the democratically elected leaders from independence till date. It is quite unfortunate that while pen robbers, coup plotters, economic saboteurs, election riggers etc are walking shoulder high with state pardon and later crowned with merit awards and national honours of GCFR, GCON, MFR, MON, CON etc, no electoral umpire has been honored with the lowest honor of OON except R.E Reith who received his OBE from the Queen of England. If there are no constitutional barriers against honours to umpires, we pray that the current Buhari led administration should adopt their change mantra to break this jinx by honouring the umpires that deserve it for posterity. As Prof Yakubu has kick started the 2019 elections with release of INEC modalities and registration of five new parties to broaden our participatory democracy, will he be spared?. Will his tenure become another thankless job. Can a man born by a woman ever conduct an election that will be accepted in Nigeria. Only time will tell.
Iwuajoku is the Founder Defenders of Durable Democracy (DUDEM) &Network of Research Professionals (NARPS).