• Afenifere, MBF, CISLAC, YIADA Africa, others tell electoral commission polls must be fair, credible, acceptable
By Chukwudi Nweje and Julianah Taiwo-Obalonye
Socio cultural organisations and civil society groups in Nigeria, including pan Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Cultural Credibility Development Initiative (CCDI), and the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), among others, have charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the security agencies, and the electorate on how to comport themselves to make the best out of today’s off-cycle election in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo States.
The different organisations stated that while INEC must seize the opportunity of the election in the three states to redeem itself, the police must maintain the best professional standards, and code of conduct, while the citizenry have a duty to participate in the democratic process, and make their voices heard through their votes.
The groups noted that INEC’s reputation was fractured during the general election in February and March, especially during the Presidential election on February 25.
They said INEC should seize the opportunity of today’s governorship election to redeem itself by especially obeying its rules on electioneering.
National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi noted that the election in the three states present an opportunity for Nigerians and the stakeholders to rekindle interest in the electoral process.
He said: “By rekindling interest, we are talking of a situation that would make Nigerian electorate to have more confidence in the electoral process. For this to happen, five elements have critical roles to play. The government, INEC, security agencies, politicians and the voters.
“The role of the government – federal government – is to maintain neutrality. That of the security agencies is similar to that of the federal government; that is ensuring that orderliness is maintained and that security is enforced without fear or favour.
The role of the INEC is also to act as a true umpire, provide all that is needed for a smooth voting process, ballot papers and sundry other items that will easily facilitate the process, and to be transparent before, during and post-election processes. No area should be denied adequate materials and INEC officials must arrive their designated posts on time as well as conduct themselves professionally.
“Voters should conduct themselves in an orderly manner. They should remember that no politician is worth dying or even getting wounded for. Whatever happens to a voter, the politician will carry on with his or her life. In other words, citizens and the electorate should not allow themselves to be used for any illicit action by politicians before, during and after the balloting process.”
President of MBF, Dr Pogu Bitrus said: “Given the kind of distrust Nigerians have about INEC and conduct of elections especially the presidential election of February 25, INEC should put its acts together and go by its rules, and those rules include accreditation using BVAS and timely transmission of results to the IRev so that everybody will see the transparency of the process. So that Nigerians will have confidence in the credibility of INEC again,
“The security agencies should be impartial, and maintain law and order. They should not be seen to favour the government in power. The security agencies should ensure that there is law and order and that everybody is protected so that they will determine the outcome of the election, not manipulation or intimidation by the security agencies.
“The electorate should conduct themselves properly, they should do their jobs by voting the kind of people they believe will give them the kind of government they require.”
On his part, President of CCDI, Ide Goddy Uwazurike said INEC should use today’s election to redeem itself.
He said: “An important organisation like INEC must ensure that its credibility, its integrity is beyond all reasonable doubts.
“INEC, presently, has a lot of questions on the way it handled the 2023 national elections. Can you believe that INEC is yet to provide PDP and LP with the certified true copies of the results they have paid for? Even the blurred results INEC produced were not useful in court.
“The security agencies are a disaster. Today, the governorship candidates cannot campaign freely. The sad thing is that the security forces and the party in power are assuring each other that the election will be peaceful. The voters are ignored.
“The constitution guarantees the voter the freedom of choice but the voters have not forgotten that their votes did not count in the recent elections.”
Executive Director of RULAAC, Mr Okechukwu Nwanguma also tasked INEC, the security agencies and the electorate on proper conduct at the election.
He said: “INEC should take convincing measures to improve public confidence in the credibility of the electoral process by, among other measures, improving adherence of its officials to laid-down electoral laws, regulations, guidelines, processes and procedures on the basis of the lessons learned from past elections, especially the 2023 general election.
“The Inspector-General of Police should ensure that police officers on election duty must act in accordance with professional standards, and especially, in compliance with the Code of Conduct for security agents on election duty. He should ensure that those who commit any act of misconduct are punished accordingly. Police officers known to have engaged in electoral misconduct in previous elections must not be allowed to participate in election duty.
“While we welcome the redeployment of Mr Mohammed Ahmed Barde as Commissioner of Police in Imo, we believe that this alone will not change anything unless other police officers are made to face disciplinary measures for their excesses and brazen partisanship, and human rights violations. The structure of violence in Imo State led by an aide to the Imo State governor should be dismantled if election in Imo must be peaceful and credible.
“Citizens have a civic duty to participate in the democratic process, to make their voices heard through their votes. They should come out en mass, conduct themselves peacefully, vote according to their informed choices, to decide who leads them. They should not mortgage the future by selling their votes.”
For Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Chairman, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), the job of INEC as an organisation and that of the security agencies are already well cut out for them. His words:
“As the people of Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi states go to the poll to elect their governors today Saturday, 11th November 2023, it is expected that security agencies would be on top of their game to ensure violent free elections from set up to casting of votes and result collation in the three states. Any excuse of insufficient personnel will not be accepted as there should be enough men and material to protect citizens, properties and election materials.
“Already, a look at various security analysis of elections in the three states points to high security risks and a great potential for electoral violence. While these reports would already be scaring citizens from participating by turning out in their large numbers to cast their votes, the security agencies are expected to carry out actions that convince citizens on their ability to ensure peaceful elections.
“The ongoing actions of the political actors in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi show that politicians are desperate to grab or hold on to power and would stop at nothing, even if it means life or death. “The security agencies cannot afford to turn a blind eye to these early triggers of violence. It must be noted that, if these actions are left to fester into violence, anybody, including personnel of security agencies could become targets and victims.
“It is based on this understanding that the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) during its press conference ahead of the off-cycle elections called for concerted efforts from security agencies to play their role optimally to ensure peaceful elections on November 11th. Constitutionally, it must be recalled that the Nigerian Police are primarily saddled with the responsibility of internal security, including the maintenance of law and order, in line with the provisions of the Police Act. Other legal documents such as the Criminal Code, Police Service Guideline and the Electoral Act itself recognise the police as the coordinating security agency on electoral security to ensure the safety of lives and property before, during and after election. This is without doubt what Nigerians expect to see from the Nigeria Police and other security agencies involved in providing election security in Nigeria.
“The security agencies must not be seen to be engaged in doing the biddings of political actors for arbitrary use of the power to pursue private intentions or converts politics into warfare rather than a process of discussion and orderly transfer of political powers. This will negate the duties of the security agencies and the democratic ideals of providing a level playing field for all candidates.
“On the part of the citizens, voters of Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi must serve as watchdog over their votes especially at the polling units level. It is the right of every accredited Nigerian voter to vote according to their persuasion, their conscience, their conviction and never under duress or inducement by any politician, security agent, religious or tribal leader or for compensation. “Citizens also have the right to observe peacefully the voting procedures as well as the result counting procedure at the polling unit. Citizens must also insist results are publicly counted and declared at the polling unit for the purpose of accountability and transparency.
“All stakeholders are expected to comport themselves diligently and perform their roles and functions professionally on election day. This is important for free, fair, peaceful and credible elections in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi states.
Samson Itodo, Head of YIADA Africa, agrees with Rafsanjani. He also has some words of advice for INEC:
“The November 11 election presents an opportunity for INEC to rebuild public confidence in the electoral process. It begins with ensuring all sensitive and non-sensitive materials arrive early across all polling units to enable voter exercise their right.
“Secondly, INEC must ensure compliance with the guidelines on the results management. “Specifically, ward, LGA and state collation must be accessible to accredited observers, party agents and media. In addition, collation officers and returning officers must be persons of impeccable character who will respect the guidelines and not pander to politicians.
“INEC should closely monitor EOs across the state to prevent last minute substitution of trained presiding officers and assistant presiding officers.
“And thirdly, INEC must ensure the BVAS is used for accreditation and timely upload of election results on the IReV.”