Jega and the absurdity of our electoral system Category: Comment & debate Published on Sunday, 24 November 2013 05:00 Written by Kabiru Danladi Lawanti Hits: 51 Professor Attahiru Jega, chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), has come under attack from the opposition parties, civil rights groups and other Nigerians on the conduct of the Anambra governorship election. The Anambra election was described by many as a sham; and the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties called for the resignation of the INEC chair. According to them, Anambra election was bungled by Jega’s INEC. This is worrisome as it shows how incompetent the INEC under Jega can be. They added that INEC and Jega could not be trusted with the 2015 general elections. But the irregularities in the Anambra election, like others before it, cannot be the fault of INEC or Jega. As we all know, in Nigeria, contending parties see elections are a do-or-die-affair. It is a fact that political officeholders use their offices as conduit pipes to amass unimaginable wealth by siphoning public treasury. Knowing the kind of atrocities they committed during their tenure, most politicians become desperate; and when leaving office, they would do everything possible to install their puppets as successors. This becomes important so that their illegal activities would be adequately covered. This explains why elections have become an exercise in futility in Nigeria. The people’s votes no longer count due to perennial rigging. I know that opposition parties will find it very difficult to agree that elections in Nigeria are not really compromised by the electoral umpire; rather, it is the politicians that manipulate the elections to their favour. The use of security agents, corrupting INEC officials, buying of political parties’ agents, snatching of ballot boxes, sharing of extra ballot papers by parties present and changing of election results are done by politicians. All political parties give gratifications to electoral officials and security agents, thereby buying their conscience. Subsequently, this determines how they behave during elections. The artificial poverty created by politicians also worsens the situation as the electorate, who are dying of hunger and starvation are engaged to thumbprint ballot papers throughout the night when official voting has not started. The INEC officials who are bribed by politicians supply voting materials to top politicians in a particular area. It is a common knowledge in many states that resident electoral commissioners rely heavily on state governors to supplement their meager pay. One often hears how federal commissioners of INEC visit big politicians before a major election as a mark of loyalty to pave way for smooth flow of their corrupt tendencies perpetrated at the polls. Jega himself admitted that politicians and political parties are responsible for the lingering irregularities in the Nigerian electoral process. “There is a deliberate exhibition of corruption and corrupt tendencies by the political parties. Electoral officials are usually blamed for declaring false results, but, in most cases, it is because of tremendous inducement and pressure from political parties and candidates. It is incredible the amount of money that is budgeted. Political parties budget funds for security agencies, INEC or electoral officials,” he said. That is why INEC or Jega cannot conduct free and fair elections in Oguta, a local government area in Imo State; or in Edo and Anambra States. INEC and Jega cannot, however, be entirely exonerated from blame. We have to ask what efforts they have made as an umpire to stop irregularities during elections. Also, what has INEC done to punish electoral offenders in the past? It is on record that, after gulping billions of naira in 2011, INEC came out to complain about logistics. It is shocking, but it is true that INEC cannot boast of an authentic voters’ register, which is the most fundamental element of an election. To the best of my knowledge, elections were cancelled and by-elections conducted after the 2011 exercise, but no one was punished for his or her role in rigging or compromising the electoral process. Until electoral offenders are properly punished, elections in this country will continue to be highly contentious and often marred by fraud and irregularities. Electoral offenders should include officials of INEC, permanent and ad hoc staff, security agencies who compromise their sacred duty and acquiesce to the rigging of elections, as well as politicians. In my view, the Anambra charade is an indication of how our politicians are not yet ready to respond to the yearnings for a more accountable and transparent political culture in Nigeria. And INEC, as an umpire, can only conduct a free and fair election when politicians are ready to accept that politics or elections are not a do-or-die- affair. We may change Jega today for another supposedly credible person, but the conduct of our elections will remain the same unless our politicians change their attitude. Kabiru Danladi Lawanti is of the Department of Mass Communication, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria-Nigeria.
Posted on: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 22:21:02 +0000
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