The lndependent National Electoral Commission (INEC), truly, appears overwhelmed if commentaries in the public domain are anything to go by. Despite all the promises, INEC did not do anything differently to redeem its image in the off-circle elections. Each time Nigerians go to the poll, the outcome usually does not bring joy and celebrations as expected to the people, even though a winner must emerge. It is indeed disappointing that after 24 years of uninterrupted democracy, INEC still could not get it right in the conduct of elections in the country, but has rather performed abysmally, thereby eroding the confidence of peoples of voting age in the electoral process, with the body as the umpire.
In fact, from every indication, the Commission seems to be struggling and may not be the solution in deepening Nigeria’s democratic process that came with huge cost and sacrifice in 1999. The challenge of the Commission is not about lack of funds, just as Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman once told Nigerians that INEC has got all it asked for in naira and kobo from the federal government to conduct free and credible elections. What indeed is lacking here is committed and dedicated people who should demonstrate the love of nation above other considerations, hence, the harvest of failures that have become part of the system.
In fact, observers believe that INEC has thrown away opportunities of redeeming its image, and must wake up to its responsibility if the hard earned democracy must be sustained. The February 25, 2023 general elections now history came at huge cost to the tax payers. With the near repeat of what transpired in the February General Elections at the just concluded Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi elections, it means that more work still needs to be done. That said, we must also not lose sight of Edo and Ondo elections which comes up next year. The point therefore, is that it cannot be business as usual, whereby the government closes its eyes to the reality without doing anything. If something is not done to revert the trend, the status quo will remain and nothing will change.
We know that INEC truly is not independent since it is the president that appoints the chairman and other top officials in the Commission, but even at that, the wishes of the people in a democracy should prevail if the country must move forward. One cannot vie for elective office without the support of the people. That is what democracy represents. Anything other thing than that is a mockery of the process. That the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), of Imo state, who was alleged to be a card carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), prior to the elections was not removed, speaks volumes of the decay in our political system. Observer groups such as YIAGA Africa and other credible organisations that monitored last week’s elections, again, did not give INEC pass mark. The party agents too, expressed worry and disappointment based on what they saw in the field.
The case of over voting, pre written results, vote buying and inducement of voters was obvious in all the three states that the polls were conducted. The point therefore is that we cannot continue this way. Something has to be done fast if the government still wants the votes of the people to count. Serious voter apathy was recorded in the last elections. Reports have it that those that voted were far less than the number of voters registered as final results announced by INEC showed. We know that in Nigeria, with or without elections, winners must emerge. It is also important to ponder on credibility and legitimacy questions that trail the exercise.
These are the ingredients of a true democratic process. Former president, Good luck Jonathan, while speaking with newsmen recently, advocated that something should be done fast to prevent future off season elections, adding that all elections should be synchronised, else, Nigeria may face the challenge of conducting off season presidential election the way things are going. We call on the government not to gloss over what is happening at INEC and ensure that the credibility problem of the commission is looked into and addressed.
