RIGGING AND THE ELECTORAL PROCESS
The Oasis Reporters
February 15, 2019
Defined, to rig is “To manipulate or control, usually by deception or dishonest means ” it could also be ” To fIx in advance of a desired result ” as in an election or for example, a football match. Wherever there was an election involving more than one political party there has always been the fear that attempts will be made by rogue elements within the political spectrum to influence the outcome of such a contest. When thIs happens the sanctity of the process gets tainted.
It is perhaps in the advanced democracies that we hardly hear allegations of rigging or at the very least attempts in this direction but even so, the Watergate scandal of the Nixon era in the United States of America which eventually forced President Nixon to resign is a classic case in the attempt to manipulate an election.
The last Presidential election in the United States which threw up Donald Trump is still yet to recover from the allegations of Russian meddling. Though Donald Trump is still living in denial, the ghost of Russian meddling has refused to go. Elsewhere particularly in developing climes as ours there has not been a single election that has passed without the losers alleging that they lost because the process was rigged even where they may have taken part in the rigging in their own way but because they lost, they yet will complain that the outcome of the entire process was rigged against them. The winning party on the other hand even where they benefited from the rigging will be out defending the fairness of the outcome.
The 3 ingredients of CREDIBILITY, TRANSPARENCY and FAIRNESS which would qualify an election as acceptable are very difficult to be wholly observed and therefore, we have had instances where elections have been described variously as either ” free and fair but not credible ” or ” free and credible but not fair” or ” free, fair but not transparent ” and therefore not credible.
For a truth, it is very difficult to 100 percent judge an election by these standards given the level of advancement within the polity. The International community usually would send observers to observe the electoral process and to agree or otherwise with the outcome.
There have been instances whereby the foreign election observers have disagreed with the official position of the electoral umpires or the governments where the elections took place. On the whole the position of the foreign observers have never largely changed the overall outcome of any election but their presence reduces the possibilities of massive rigging.
This nation is primed up to go to the polls tomorrow and in another two weeks time and the political space is already charged up with allegations of clandestine plans to rig the outcome of the process. The two leading political parties have been the ones throwing stones at each other even when the difference between them is only nuanced. We must agree to the fact that both parties have the capacity to massively rig the outcome because in my humble view, there is no difference between them. In the lead up to the elections there have been cases of violence leading to unfortunate deaths starting with the campaigning. There have been threats of severe consequences if the process was rigged in any way. Governors as in Ebonyi are quoted on social media as saying ” Rig and die ” while in Kaduna State El Rufai has issued an unveiled threat to foreign observers saying they will be returned in body bags if they interfered with the process. This reckless and totally irresponsible statement from a State governor tells any observer that we are living in pernicious tunes. According to the social media source, the President has dissociated himself from El Rufai statement but that is not enough, the dictator ought to have received a rebuke by the electoral umpire received a query from either of the security forces
My fear in all of this is role that non state actors might play in an attemot to either influence or undermine the process. Instances of ballot box snatching or stuffing of ballot papers we pray will not happen. It was reported in Kano State just a few days back that a truck was arrested with bags of already thumbprinted ballot papers just as it has been reported that some people have been arrested with samples of ballot papers.. It is welcome news that security officials in numbers will! be deployed to keep an eye on the process however we must know that even amongst the security men there could be rogued elements within their ranks.
In Kaduna State, security has largely deteriorated in the Gwagwada general area of Chukun LGA. The situation according to reports in social media is not any different from what is playing out in the Gwagwada area where gunmen are terrorizing the population in the area. If this ugly situation is not arrested, I cannot see how the electorate can fully and freely take part in the electoral process.
Before praying to God Almighty to help us have a successfully outing, we must play our own part in contributing to an outcome that will pass the test of credibility, fairness, transparency and the freedom to express one’s choice devoid of intimidation.
To God Be The Glory.
Written by Col. Gora Dauda (rtd)
