Tips on successful elections in Nigeria

My intention in this write up is not to discuss the legalities of elections since some discussants including some legal luminaries at various fora have analyzed legal implications of elections. My intention here is to discuss in most civil ways, some attributes of credible elections, through the roles of stakeholders. THE STAKEHOLDERS Prominent among the […]

My intention in this write up is not to discuss the legalities of elections since some discussants including some legal luminaries at various fora have analyzed legal implications of elections. My intention here is to discuss in most civil ways, some attributes of credible elections, through the roles of stakeholders.

THE STAKEHOLDERS

Prominent among the stakeholders are the electoral Body (INEC), the governments at all levels, the political class, the electorate, and finally, the law enforcement agents.

The statutory functions of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are well-spelt out in the Constitution/Electoral Act as amended in 2010. There are also well-articulated Electoral Guidelines, for all the stakeholders as prepared by the INEC. In addition to the Acts and Guidelines, the INEC through its machinery including, personnel should be seen and regarded as unbiased umpire of international repute and recognition. The electoral Body must provide a level play ground for all the players in the election. Logistics must be adequately and appropriately provided and equitably distributed at appropriate periods of the elections.

Specifically and in practical terms, INEC should discharge its statutory duties through two categories of staff-viz: permanent and Adhoc staff.

PERMANENT STAFF:

These are career civil servants at the National Headquarters, State and Local Government Offices in the Federation. These classes of staff have higher stakes in electoral duties than the adhoc ones, although either group operates within legal framework.

Apart from proper and continuous professional training that permanent staff are exposed to, they are expected to live above board by all means. They are expected to be patriotic, conscientious, strict, cautious, courteous and highly disciplined electoral coordinators at levels of operation. They should be non-partisan, expected to preserve their integrity and that of the commission, must be an encyclopedia of the electoral knowledge; must be ready to make a success of electoral activities.

Must be prepared to make NAME and not MONEY: the two cannot go together in a sensitive assignment of this nature and of this magnitude; must be skillful in handling sensitive issues that may arise during the course of the national assignment.

ADHOC STAFF:

Although they are recruited to conduct elections on temporary basis, they can be described as staff on “The War Front”; Fire Brigade Officers. As soon as they are shown the unit/centre they are to discharge their duties, they are expected to assume a neutral posture and get determined to succeed by

all legitimate and legal means; should know the nitty-gritties of electoral guidelines; must be ready to defend all his or her actions during the duties; must be cautions of his or her actions, be courteous to potential voters, and friendly, and co-operate with the law enforcement agents and party agents; must be skillful in manipulating any election gadgets if there are; must be vigilant, confident, courageous, consistent in his or her dealings with all that are concerned with the election; be patriotic, energetic, responsible and responsive with legible writing and finally, must be emotionally stable officers; only emotionally stable officers can conduct elections successfully in Nigeria, they may face some hostile gangs or over-zealous voters or party supporters, they must be calm and confident to face the challenges of the moment.

GOVERNMENTS AT ALL LEVELS

The roles of the Federal Government of Nigeria with respect to elections are well spelt out in the constitution of 1999 as amended in 2010 electoral acts, specifically, budgetary allocations/provision. In addition, the central government (FG) is to provide all the necessary tools for the Law Enforcement agents for their legitimate operations before, during and after the elections; security of men and materials for electoral duties is of paramount importance for the successful elections, therefore, governments at levels must provide the security coverage for men and materials for elections of our dream. Even in some states with very difficult terrains, states and local Governments in those areas must support the electoral bodies in the state logistically. I feel there will be no State Chief Executives that will demand from the Resident Electoral Commissioner of a “pound of flesh” simply because they assist in the provision of logistics that are of local content in nature.

LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS:

For any human activity to succeed it must be backed by adequate security, Election is one of such human activities.

Law enforcement agents must be ready to face the challenges of elections all the times, in all places; the agents must be seen to be free from connivance, conspiracy, aiding and abetting electoral fraudulence; should act precisely and properly at all distress calls, reports, complaints and observations by any other stakeholders during the periods of the electoral activities; should shun all forms of illegal and corrupt moves by electoral riggers; should never compromise personal integrity and that of their professional body: should remember that what is secret between or among people is what has not taken place or done at any point in time; should be ready to display professional, gallantry when any form of violence erupts. Be ready to prosecute electoral offenders at appropriate time; must remember that the duties of security agents span beyond election periods. The agents must remember that they will definitely and eventually earn honor for themselves and for the nation if they assist in conducting elections that will be adjudged credible by the international community; the agents’ positive involvement in credible elections brings along history and posterity.

POLITICAL CLASS:

The direct beneficiaries of any election at any level are the political class made up of candidates, their sponsors and members of party executives at all levels of party operations.

This class is expected to be an embodiment of electoral knowledge including guidelines. This class is expected to adequately educate their supporters on the nitty gritties of electoral guidelines. The class is expected to cultivate the spirit of sportsmanship in themselves and in their supporters.

Dr. Bello Asuku Ibrahim, the Ohi of Adavi, Kogi State, Dr. Bello Asuku Ibrahim is a retired officer from INEC