From Kaduna LG Polls To Ekiti, Osun And Plateau, INEC Gives 2019 Electoral Preview
The Oasis Reporters
October 12, 2018
The sudden disappearance of returning officers allegedly led to ‘changed’ results that looked strange.
Still believing its own spin of opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP’s rejection by the people of Nigeria because of the much hyped corruption tendencies of the previous government, the government of Kaduna State imported futuristic online, real-time Electoral machines, such that identification of voters and the counting of votes would be like an Automated Teller Machine, ATM counting cash in a bank, with digital speed and efficiency. A proud Governor Nasir El Rufai was happy to test run it.
On Local Governments election day, the digital machines counted, registered and transmitted the results to the collation center with speedy efficiency and everyone from the ward level to the local government and the State knew the results immediately. Human counters were no longer necessary. It was like an election in Europe or in the Americas.
But the results did not give the government any cause for cheer.
According to onlookers taking notes displayed by the election machines, the ruling party had suffered a humiliating defeat in many Electoral wards.
Suddenly, the Election Returning Officers whose duty was to declare the results were nowhere to be found, only for results to be declared on the radio from strange and unusual locations. And the losers became the winners in a suspected daring switch of results. The matter is still dragging on in the courts of law interminably while the declared winners have been sworn in, enjoying the perks of office.
Fayose, speaking after the alleged assault on him at the Government House by operatives in Mobile police uniform.
Next to come was the Ekiti gubernatorial election and a rally of solidarity called by Governor Ayodele Fayose was prevented from taking place by the police while the governor was allegedly manhandled and barricaded within Government House. Same restrictions were slammed on the deputy governor and gubernatorial candidate of the ruling PDP in the state, Olubunmi Eleka.
Only the federal government favoured candidate and supporters had freedom of movement. The results were predictable. The PDP had lost and the APC had won. The matter has shifted to the courts. And before October 2018 runs out, Kayode Fayemi of the APC would be sworn in, even while the case continues to drag on interminably in the law courts.
Soon afterwards, another gubernatorial election was held in Osun State and the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP was projected to be in the lead. An alleged brazen attempt was made by an election official who deliberately tore the declared results sheet of a constituency in the opposition stronghold. Even though the PDP had won, the margin of win versus the invalid votes cast was used as a clever method to force the election into a second run in a few constituencies to be held within two weeks.
The second round election was heavily militarized with PDP members prevented from getting to the polling centres by thugs and the law enforcement agencies as testified to by the US, UK/EU, Nigerian Bar Association, NBA election monitors and the Press in their reports.
To quote the NBA report, here’s a paraphrase, “The election monitoring committee of the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA) in the Osun State rerun election” has reached a conclusion in its report “that the Nigerian Police was passive in some parts of the state during the election closing its eyes to some questionable behaviours especially in Orolu part of the State.
“In conclusion the Rerun of the Osun state Gubernatorial Election fell far short of a free and fair election compared to what transpired in the election of the 22ndday of September, 2018 in Osun State which was however declared inconclusive. From the actions and inactions of the Nigerian Police Force they appeared to have been compromised given the fact that the Police did not question the activities of the about fifty (50) fierce-looking men who invaded the area at Orolu.”
Predictably, the ruling party won the poll and would be sworn in in a matter of weeks while the matter continues in court.
Another local government elections have just been held in the beleaguered North Central State of Plateau. The excuse of insecurity was used to exclude some selected Local Government areas in opposition strongholds from participating in the polls. For the over 200 Journalists in Plateau State to cover the elections from within and outside the State, the State government through the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission, PLASIEC, only about 30 Accreditation Cards were issued to Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ. And the cards went to select Journalists who would cover only the governor’s voting in his home area.
Predictably, the ruling party won while unprecedented demonstrations went on in many local areas who have cried over foul play. Youths in Mangu town for instance have barricaded the road leading to the State capital, Jos, unless the results were declared because according to them, while the declaration of results was ongoing, the Chief Returning Officer for the local government received a phone call and he suspended the announcement of the results claiming that he had been summoned to Jos.
From the foregoing, it seems that the Election Commission in each state has it’s own template for running elections and each scenario has an improvised procedure for reacting to any unpleasant outcomes to favour one party or the other. Unless this makeshift arrangement of each state having an election procedure different from the other is abandoned in favor of a universally acceptable voting procedure, it will be difficult for the Electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to convince the country that it has the sincerity of purpose to deliver a free and fair poll.
