Anambra Elections: Our Elections

What will all these imply for the immediate future of our national politics especially the 2015 polls and the future of our democracy? First is voters’ apathy. Irrespective of the bloating of polling figures in numerous elections in the past—especially with regard to the Gubernatorial and Presidential elections of 2011 whereby, in some states, polling […]

What will all these imply for the immediate future of our national politics especially the 2015 polls and the future of our democracy? First is voters’ apathy. Irrespective of the bloating of polling figures in numerous elections in the past—especially with regard to the Gubernatorial and Presidential elections of 2011 whereby, in some states, polling figures were in some cases higher than the registered voters or polled figures were as high as 80% to 90%, there is no question that there is manifest apathy to election in our country.
There is crass absence of confidence in the election process, the political process and the relationship between electioneering outcome and the sovereign will of the electorate. No doubt, and in spite of the obvious improvement in the credibility of our elections as becoming fairer and freer based on the growing credibility of the leadership of INEC in the last four or so years, the electorate are not enthused with the outcome of elections in our country. There is no confidence, whatsoever in the performance of the political parties and their elective culture. Votes hardly reflect the wishes of the electorate. Thus, there is low and poor turn-out for elections at all levels during elections. There is general apathy among the electorate of Nigeria. This has come out, quite glaringly, in the Anambra elections of a fortnight ago. The polling figures speak volumes. Out of the 1, 763, 761 registered voters in the State, only 451, 826 were really accredited to vote in the election. This is less than 26% of the registered voters. Out of these, 429, 549 votes were reported cast out of which 16, 544 were invalidated, while 113, 113 were out-rightly cancelled. The bizarre implication is that 74% or 1.3million Anambra’s registered electorate were disenfranchised. Now, this takes for granted that the voter’s register of Anambra was authentic and accurate. In this stark reality that confronts us from the polls, what level of credibility can be attributed to such an electoral process and exercise?
How credible and praiseworthy is the performance of INEC who umpired this ‘wonderful’ electoral process? No matter what condemnation and vituperations have been showered on the INEC, especially its boss Professor Attahiru Jega by a bemused and perturbed nation, given all the promises, expectations and rising confidence in the electoral body, there is no question that INEC ought to be genuinely worried about the conduct and outcome of this election. The bases for the lifted expectation of the electorate over this election are found in the assurances given by the INEC over the level of preparation it had made for the election. What with the database that it informed the nation that it is generating? To carry this out, a whopping sum of N100billion was required, requested for, and, I believe, given. Compared to the stupefying obfuscation and muddling that took place during the election, the usually impatient Nigerians could only become more dizzy and daze. Some are raising alarm of blue murder. No question, Professor Attahiru Jega’s integrity and well-earned reputation for Spartan character and rectitude, as a person, as far as most of us who know him intimately are concerned, remain un-assailed.
This is accentuated by the steps that he has already taken to bring to book all of his staffers who are inculpated in this shady and shoddy election outcome in Anambra. He has already asked those potentially indictable to be prosecuted and requisite reprisals meted out. He had admitted without hesitation that the election has been greatly marred and had put on hold the declaration of a winner and had ordered new polls in 210 polling unites where acute irregularities had taken place. Above all, he had not only taken responsibility for the confusion at the polls, he had quite characteristically apologized to the nation for the sordid deficit in the credibility of the polls. This is quite salutary but does not remedy the situation in itself.
Many have attributed the apology, not to statesman-liness and humility in power, but to an admission of failure. Those who are willing to line up with the latter have refused to take a historical account of the character of the Nigerian politician and the history of Anambra polls. But this is not making an excuse for the ugliness of the outcome of the Anambra polls. INEC must work hard and fast to restore confidence, which it had begun to build, prior to this election, in the electoral organ and process. The Anambra mess must be cleared and the march toward 2015, which is already gathering a tornado, must be ensured as manageable and practicable. Jega and his Commission have an unenviable task ahead. Note that the election was peacefully. The security was effective and there was no eruptive violence throughout the process. Nigerians must note and commend that as a positive aspect of a dispiriting electoral exercise.
What we must never underestimate is the character of the Nigerian partisan politics and the politicians running it. Greed and obnoxious power lust at the expense of national interest epitomize Nigeria’s power politics. The political parties are singing different and diverse choruses. While the font-running candidates from APGA (Willie Obiano) and PDP (Tony Nwoye) are in sympathy with INEC’s supplementary election as proposed, the APC (and its candidate, Chris Ngige) who feel worst hit and done in by the electoral process have rejected in its entirety the proposed selective new polls in favour of total cancellation of the whole election. Now, are these divergent positions and diverse perspectives based on altruism? Are these positions a resultant commitment to credible elections and the survival of our democracy or sheer self-interest? Is APGA identifying with supplementary election because it is set to win, given the figure it already garners that puts her way ahead of the other parties and will come to no harm by the supplementary polls? What is the interest of the PDP which is the first runner-up? Is the PDP concerned with the future of democracy and peace in the State or playing the game of ensuring that its key opponent, the APC, fails in the State, irrespective of who wins? In other words, is the PDP just satisfied that APGA wins even if the PDP loses so long as the APC does not gain a foothold in Anambra—a clear case of chicken (APC) pours away my medicine and I (PDP) shall smash her egg! The APC finds her candidate worst affected by the electoral fumbling in Anambra and cannot objectively assess the limited level of the irregularity, since a supplementary run will not improve her electoral fortunes.
In the final analysis, it is the political future of the nation that is at stake. The INEC should bolster up to rectify the situation in Anambra and conclude the polls in a way that will restore confidence in the electoral body to prepare and take the nation’s electoral democracy beyond 2015. Otherwise, danger looms for the nation.
Politicians of all shades and shapes must drop parochial partisanship and save the Anambra elections, nay our nation’s elections.