INEC Confronts Confidence Crisis In Off-Cycle Polls

A crisis of confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process may affect voter turnout in the upcoming governorship elections in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states as political parties and voters alike do not appear convinced by assurances from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that polling unit results will be uploaded directly on the result portal, IReV.

The situation has also led to suspicions about the impartiality of the commission with one political party alleging three staffers of INEC are right now maliciously reconfiguring the of Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) machines at Government House, Lokoja, Kogi State, with the intention of manipulating the forthcoming governorship election in a part of the state in favour of a candidate.

INEC is set to conduct the off-season governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa State on November 11, 2023.

Some political parties are, however, exasperated by the conflicting messages coming out from officials of the Commission on whether election results will be transmitted manually or electronically.

Their discontentment followed the commission’s failure to upload the last presidential election results in real time. 

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This is just as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria are asking voters in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo states to come out and fully exercise their franchise in the upcoming gubernatorial elections.  

According to the CSOs, if citizens of these states do not come out to vote, bad leaders will emerge from the process.

While voters appear to be losing faith in the electoral process, political parties have continued to cast doubt about the transparency of the process, which may lead to voter apathy.

On the allegation made by the Social Democratic Party, which is fielding a candidate for governor in Kogi State, INEC vehemently denied the alleged reconfiguration of BVAS machines for the governorship election. 

However, the Commission, in a statement by the chief press secretary to the INEC chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, categorically refuted these claims, describing them as fake news. 

Oyekanmi said the malicious statement signed by I.D. Ijele, director of new media of the SDP governorship campaign team in Kogi State, claimed that three INEC staff members were involved in unauthorised BVAS machine reconfiguration at the Government House in Lokoja, with the alleged aim of manipulating the upcoming governorship election in favour of a specific candidate.

A member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and technical adviser to the Bayelsa State governor on information and strategy, Jeremiah Perekeme Owoupele, also expressed scepticism about the credibility and ability of the INEC to deliver free and fair governorship election.

 He said that the perception was drawn from the last general elections where many unethical things were seen and experienced, adding that INEC failed in many respects, particularly the promise to upload the results to curb the issues of rigging and manipulation of results.

 “This singular act compromised the entire elections as clearly noted by the Kaduna State governorship elections petitions tribunal. Given the above, we can’t but be very sceptical of its ability to give us a free and fair polls that will reflect the expectations and wishes of Bayelsa people. 

 “Accordingly, as we move closer to the elections, we are more vigilant to ensure that we are not caught napping and that INEC must abide by its own rules and the enabling law regulating its conduct in the electoral process.

“We are confident that the people will show that we are on ground and will win the elections in a credible poll”, Owoupele said.

The PDP Youth Network in the state also asked INEC to avoid subjecting Nigerians to another round of heartaches in the Bayelsa governorship election scheduled for November 11, 2023

The coordinator of the group, Mr James Oputin, in a statement on Friday said  the discordant tunes coming from INEC on the issue of electronic transmission of results is generating so much doubt and tension.

Oputin said that while the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ofiong Efanga, jolted Bayelsans by saying that INEC would adopt manual transmission of election results, the chairman, Prof Mahmud Yakubu has come out to overrule him.

Yakubu had said penultimate Saturday that the results of the November 11 governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states would be transmitted electronically.

Oputin said that the people are doubtful due to INEC’s conflicting declarations from the state and the federal level on the sensitive issue of the electronic transmission of results which is expected to reduce drastically the disturbing incidence of electoral violence in the state.

He noted that Nigerians had not forgotten how the same INEC under Prof Yakubu abruptly opted to transmit the presidential election result manually after weeks of intense media reassurances to Nigerians that the election would be transmitted electronically.

He urged Yakubu to prepare the minds of the Bayelsa voters and stakeholders on what to expect as most people seem to have dismissed his statement as yet another ambush on Election Day.

Oputin also called on the Bayelsa REC, Efanga, to address the press on the disturbing conflict concerning electronic transmission of results.

The PDP youth leader said that what the party and indeed Bayelsa people expect from INEC is an impartial conduct of the forthcoming election.

“Bayelsa is a largely riverine state and we are of the view that electronic transmission of results would reduce or erase the ugly incidents associated with results snatching witnessed in previous elections.

“We call on the Nigerian public to hold INEC accountable to its words. We also challenge Prof Mahmud and his team to ensure that promises made to Nigerians are not seen as attempts to lay ambush on Election Day,” he said.

 

  INEC Will Deliver On Its Promise – APC

Meanwhile, the pioneer deputy chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former senatorial flag bearer for Bayelsa West Senatorial District in the 2015 general election, Hon. Edi Julius, has expressed optimism in the ability of INEC to deliver on its promise in the forthcoming November 11 governorship election.

He said, “INEC has come up to say it will upload and transmit results on IREV. So let us give it the benefit of the doubt.”

A concerned Bayelsa citizen and political analyst, Amatari Mozimo, however stressed that uploading election results on IREV is not a guarantee of a free and fair election. 

He said, “It does not guarantee credibility. I will give you an instance of Rivers State during the February general election. The former governor uploaded the results, those results that were uploaded, where they the correct results? No. 

“We all know that the Labour Party won in most units. The results that were uploaded in Rivers State, where they the ones Labour Party won? No. They were the ones that had been doctored. 

“We saw samples of those where they doctored results from the manual and they still uploaded them like that with the way they changed maybe from 10 to 100, from 18 to 180, just put a zero somewhere, something like that. We saw all those things. 

“The point I am trying to make is that uploading results does not guarantee a free, fair and credible election. Uploading of results is not the thing of serious concern because people can upload wrong, rigged and doctored results. The concern should be uploading the correct election results that have been seen pasted at the unit in real time, immediately after polls.”

 

Imo voters Doubtful Of INEC

Voters in Imo State appear to have little faith in INEC’s ability to deliver a free, fair and credible governorship election on November 11, 2023, as they are doubtful of the sincerity of the organisation to upload election results to its portal. 

This was the position of a voter, Uche Onwuchekwa, who expressed distrust at INEC’s ability to fulfil its pledge of uploading election results to its portal.

 He said: “The organisation speaks from both sides of the mouth and Nigerians are sick and tired of naked lies. I am waiting eagerly for their tales by moonlight. They have their technicalities to unleash, ranging from glitches and hitches.”

He advised INEC to find a way to redeem its image which, he said, is at the lowest ebb. 

Another voter, Prince John Okoronta, called for a total reorganisation of INEC for effective service delivery, saying not much is expected from INEC because the leopard does not change its spots overnight. 

In his contribution, Labour Party chieftain and legal adviser, Barr, Emeka Ihejirika stated that INEC’s promise that election results will be uploaded to its portal is suspicious and porous. 

Acceding to hum, the Labour Party doubts the sincerity of the organisation as the same officials whose posture leaves much to be desired still hold sway in Imo State. 

He called for the removal of the resident electoral commissioner in the state, Prof Sylvia Agu.

 

Voters Express Confidence Over Kogi Election

 As the Kogi State governorship election draws near, voters have begun to express confidence that INEC will be fair and just in the conduct of the election.

According to them, the results of the 2023 general elections in various parts of the country gave them the assurance of the electoral umpire’s ability to conduct a credible election. 

The publicity secretary of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dayo Akande, affirmed that INEC is the centre-point of Kogi governorship

election.

He said, “All eyes are on INEC and we are ready to follow up on all of its activities. As a party, we are expectant that INEC will upload the results of Kogi election on its portal”. 

On his part, the spokesperson of Kogi APC Governorship Campaign Council and the state’s commissioner for Information, Hon. Kingsley Fanwo, expressed confidence that the Kogi election will be peaceful and that INEC will upload the results on its portal. 

He said, “We trust INEC’s judgement when it comes to elections in Kogi state. The February 2023 election is a clear indication that the election will be credible and the electoral body will write their name in gold in the mind of Kogites. 

Efforts to reach the director of New Media of the SDP Campaign Council were abortive as phone calls and messages were not replied 

 

Don’t Shun Kogi, Imo, Bayelsa Polls, CSOs Tell Voters 

But the CSOs have called on the electorate in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states not to stay indoors but to come out en masse to fully participate in the process. 

According to the CSOs, if citizens of these states do not come out to vote, bad leaders will emerge from the process.

The CSOs also called on the electoral umpire INEC to work hard and ensure that the electoral laws are followed, adding that if the process is not transparent, more Nigerians will lose confidence in the process. 

The CSOs who spoke to LEADERSHIP Sunday are Transparency International (TI), the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG). 

Speaking through their leader, Awwal Musa Rafsanjani, the CSOs said many Nigerians have little or no confidence in the electoral umpire and that there is the need to motivate them to participate in the process.

“Many Nigerians have little and no confidence that the process will be transparent. It’s a challenge INEC has to contend with. 

 “We are mobilising voters not to give up. We’ve been talking to the voters to come out and vote. Running away will not be good. 

“They should come out and exercise their rights. If not, bad leaders will emerge,” Rafsanjani said while urging INEC not to dash the confidence of the electorate. 

“If we have incompetent leaders who emerged through manipulation, many Nigerians will not be participating in further elections. INEC must carry out its responsibility so that the voters will not lose confidence in it,” Rafsanjani added.