Postponing elections is an option

There is justifiable dread in the hearts of the citizenry, given the experience of the 2011 post election violence and sadly, no institution appears to be genuinely concerned about guiding public thought and expression against the likely repetition of those events. It is nice to think that this is an expression of confidence that it […]

There is justifiable dread in the hearts of the citizenry, given the experience of the 2011 post election violence and sadly, no institution appears to be genuinely concerned about guiding public thought and expression against the likely repetition of those events. It is nice to think that this is an expression of confidence that it shall all be well. One hopes so. But is there basis for this hope?
It was a relief Monday, when the Chairman Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Attahiru Jega restated his commitment to the conduct of free, fair and acceptable elections next month, and affirmed that preparations for the polls were being finalized in order to make sure that the process was conducted in accordance with best practices. He was delivering a paper at a conference in Bayero University Kano where he was once Vice Chancellor on the theme ‘INEC and the 2015 General Elections: Expectations, Prospects and Challenges’. Jega noted rightly that “learning from the experiences of 2011, especially regarding the need for early preparations, the commission has undertaken the task of fundamental restructuring of its bureaucracy,” Confidently, Jega thundered, “We give assurance that preparations by INEC for the 2015 general elections are being finalised.
“Are being finalised” in Nigerian parlance however says a lot. In 2011, Jega held the nation spellbound with convincing assurances only to fail on the day elections were to take off, adding to the English lexicon the expression that the Nigerian nation had been “jegaed”. On the day voting was to start, “preparations by INEC for the 2015 general elections were being finalised”. I have taken a hard look at the challenges before Attahiru Jega and I do not hesitate to ask that INEC should be bold to postpone the election date by a few weeks to ensure that everything that should guarantee a faultless election is in place.
First and foremost, we have not put to rest the fact of voters registered but are yet to collect their permanent voter’s cards. According to Jega, The total number of voters registered for the elections is 68,833,476.” Out of this, only 38,774,391 Nigerians had collected their Permanent Voter Cards out of the 54,341,610 that were read as at present. This is a shortfall of over 10 million voters. If we add the over 4 million Nigerians that were involved in double registration and that because of this, their names had been deleted from the register, we can see clearly that the election even when diligently conducted will leave contention on the results. Silence on the issue is ominous.
There is also the issue of the North East States affected by the insurgency, particularly Borno and Yobe States which are APC States. INEC held the stakeholders from the States to a meeting in order to work out an amicable solution, and one wonders what type of amicable solution is envisaged. I shudder to imagine the Presidential elections being conducted without Borno and Yobe participating, given the fact that they are States belonging to the opposition All Progressives Congress. This sticks out like a sore thumb and requires that the matter is fully thrashed out before the elections hold. Given the remaining few weeks, can this issue be resolved with a solution that is in any way amicable?
There are questions on logistics specifically INEC ad-hoc staff. For the obvious reasons of the killing of Youth corps members engaged by INEC in 2011, parents have warned their children on National service not to accept the dangerous engagements. Nigerians do not need a looming surprise on this one. Who are going to be engaged as ad-hoc staff for the conduct of the elections is of interest to Nigerians.
In Kano, Professor Attahiru Jega said “As far as INEC is concerned, the 2015 general elections will see Nigeria take its rightful place in the global comity of nations where the electoral democracy is being consolidated.” But the forthcoming 2015 election is not just any election. In my last outing here I described it thus:- “In President Jonathan, we have a rock that cannot be moved, and in rocket speed towards that rock is unstoppable Muhammadu Buhari. What happens when these two worlds collide? The nation’s greatest trepidation is the spectre of violence that hangs ominously over the elections in view of the currently overheated political atmosphere. Commendably, INEC has addressed the issue by inviting the key stake holders, President Goodluck Jonathan and his notable challenger retired General Muhammadu Buhari to a dialogue where they signed a pact to work against violence whatever the outcome of the elections. Aside from the hugs and the plastic smiles that we saw, there does not seem to be significant step that the two have taken to ensure that the letter of their pact was carried out. Not a tangible step by way of voter influence to peace has been taken and this is very unnerving. On its part, INEC is also doing poorly on voter education and persuasion to peace, at least such that douses the flames of untempered political mudslinging that is currently going on.
Therefore there are worries about security. Will the security agencies respect the constitution and act in a non partisan manner? Our institutions have the ability, but do they have the commitment? And even if they have the commitment, will the leadership act in a stately manner to ensure that voters are not intimidated and that the elections are free and fair?
The rancour and contention between the contestants is enough of a threat. We cannot afford to add an ill prepared INEC.