Ahead of the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, former pime minister of Kenya, Raila Odinga, has warned Nigerians to be vigilant in the use of technology in the electoral process as it could be deployed to manipulate the process and steal the people’s mandate.
The veteran Kenyan politician said this in his keynote address at the 14th edition of the LEADERSHIP Annual Conferences and Awards with the theme “Credible Election and an Economy in Transition”, held in Abuja on Tuesday.
The Nigerian Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared it will deploy technology for the accreditation, collation and transmission of the results, but Odinga says judging by his experience as a contestant in Kenya’s multiple elections, especially between 2007 and 2022, as much as technology is important, members of the elite can manipulate it to rig election.
He also warned that the manipulation and rigging elections can destroy the credibility of elections, which have devastating consequences, including voter apathy, as people will believe that irrespective of how they vote, their votes will not count. He also said that rigging elections erodes investor confidence in the economy, adding that Africans must reconsider the use of technology.
He said, “There is a need to rethink the use of technology. Either we adopt reliable election technology, including voting machines that generate a voter-verifiable audit trail, so voters can confirm that their choices are being recorded accurately, or we go fully manual.”
He also cautioned Nigerians and other Africans that the entire continent runs the risk of not achieving the goals of ‘Agenda 2063’ if the continent cannot guarantee free, fair and credible elections as that will chase away investors.
He said, “If Africa wants to achieve the goals of Agenda 2063, then we must prioritise and entrench free, fair and credible elections by all member states. Since the reintroduction of multiparty politics in the 1990s, the quality and credibility of our elections have steadily deteriorated.
“In many of our countries, election management bodies have been captured by the ruling parties or individual politicians, making it impossible to have fair contests. The capture leads to skewed processes like voter registration and appointment of election management officials, with disastrous consequences.
“As a continent, we have to agree that critical development efforts cannot succeed without a legitimate and democratically elected government that is responsive and accountable to its citizens and the investor community.”
According to him, free and fair elections are indicators to investors that there is a government in place that believes in fairness and the rule of law.
“When a government comes in through a fair ballot, investors get the reassurance that their property will be respected, taxation will be fair, investment rules will be simple and clear and they will not have to resort to corruption and bribery to set up or stay in business.
“Illiberal regimes send signals that are the direct opposite of what the investors are looking for. If the election is rigged, and the leader is overriding laws and constitutional provisions, no one in the country can stand up to the government… And so investment falls — because there’s a lot of economic risk in doing business in countries with unconstrained governments,” he said.
The Pan-African social democrat explained that regimes that come to power by rigged elections cannot guarantee judicial independence, or respect other state and non-governmental bodies that are critical to the rule of law, which is an indispensable requirement for a good investment climate.
“We, therefore, need to internalise the fact that elections are important political risk assessment tools for investors. I must hasten to add here that by investors, I am not simply talking about foreign investment; I refer also most importantly to domestic investors,” Odinga said.
He lamented that “elections and democracy are failing in Africa not because a majority of Africa’s voters prefer authoritarian, non-democratic forms of government; it is happening because an organised elite, keen to protect narrow selfish interests, has forged strategic alliances and captured strategic systems and institutions of various nations with the sole purpose of subverting the substance of elections.”
Credibility Of Election Depends On INEC, Courts – Osinbajo
But in his speech at the awards, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said the credibility and integrity of elections depend on INEC and the courts.
Osinbajo, who was the chairman of the occasion, said from recent electoral history, there are too many examples of electoral violence following disputed electoral outcomes.
This, of course, he noted usually means the destruction, sometimes, of public and private property and infrastructure.
He said, “Aside from the waste of man hours, while the unrest lasts and its immediate aftermath, I think the third test of the credibility of our electoral contests is the integrity of the umpire and the electoral courts.
“And I think, I guess, because I also talked extensively about the integrity of the umpire, but I also want to emphasise the integrity of the electoral courts. Where the umpire is perceived as unfair there is potential for trouble, where the courts are perceived as arbitrary as whimsical or acting in contradiction.
“To establish precedents, there is an almost commensurate loss of confidence by the electorate. The political elite in Nigeria has a duty in the interest of economics, the economic well-being of our citizens, and of course in the overall interest of the people who we claim to represent to ensure that elections and electoral dispute resolution processes are free, fair, and credible. This is the least that we can offer our nation, its peoples, and indeed our continent.
The vice president further said the daily struggles for food, shelter for clothing are bigger than any other matters in Nigeria.
Stating that bread and butter trumps everything else, Osinbajo said in our democracy, where we have today over 200 million people, 90 million of whom require education, and job opportunities, those are under the age of 30 and all others require health care infrastructure and social service.
According to him, the enormity of the challenges is much and that democracy, the rule of law, and the election of governments by free and fair elections are crucial tackling them.
“There is a reluctance to invest before the elections. Consumers are careful not to spend their savings or to be bullish on the stock market sometimes because of the fear of electoral disturbances that might spiral out of control and make business and commerce impossible.
“For the most sophisticated economic actors, it makes sense to simply wait until the complexion of the new government is clear. But the prospects for the disruption of the economy are even greater where elections for one reason or the other produce governments that are not credible; legitimacy of governments as conferred by the freely given mandate of the electorate is a major consideration.”
The vice president said the LEADERSHIP Media group awards have, just by the integrity and consistency in upholding high values, become a major national event for the recognition of deserving local and international persons.
He further said “we’re greatly honored today, especially by the presence of our guest speaker, a true icon of African democracy, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Kenya, the great Raila Odinga.
“If there’s anyone who can comment with authority on the topic anywhere in Africa, it is surely Raila Odinga, and, listening to him, you see that he is an encyclopedia of sorts, in election observations in Nigeria and elsewhere, and also in the politics of Africa.”
Osinbajo said the founder of LEADERSHIP media organisation, Sam Nda Isaiah, believes strongly that the role of the media is to serve as the foremost moderator of public discourse and to be impartial yet impassioned.
“I commend you all at the LEADERSHIP Media Group for striving to keep his legacy alive and continuing to follow the trail that he saw doggedly blazed during his accomplished life.”
2023 Will Be The Best In Nation’s History – Lawan
Senate President Ahmad Lawan is upbeat that the forthcoming 2023 general elections will be the best ever in Nigeria.
Lawan expressed this optimism yesterday while playing host to a delegation of the European Union (EU) election observers and former Kenyan Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, who paid separate courtesy visits to his office at the National Assembly in Abuja.
Odinga was in Nigeria at the instance of the Management of the LEADERSHIP Newspapers Group as a keynote speaker at their Annual Conference and Awards, which earlier held in Abuja yesterday..
The Senate President told his guests that the National Assembly had worked very hard to provide necessary support to the electoral agency and enacted the needed legislation to guide the electoral environment for the polls.
Receiving the EU delegation led by Thomas Boserup, Deputy Chief Observer, the Senate President said: “The general elections this year will be probably the best. This is because we worked so hard in the National Assembly to produce a very good document to guide the electoral environment in Nigeria.
“The amendment to the Electoral Act was signed into law by Mr President last year and the INEC has been given ample opportunity and a great deal of latitude to introduce technology in the elections.
“The introduction of BVAS (Bimodal Voter Accreditation System) I think will go a long way in ensuring that election fraud, manipulations are reduced to the barest minimum. We believe that has been one of the serious issues that bedeviled our elections previously.”
“”We gave INEC so much powers and for it to introduce technology in the elections so that we reduce subjectivity, possibility of rigging and some unwholesome attitude of some politicians or their agents.
“And we believe that the 2023 elections will have the best and highest quality of election processes than the previous ones. Our hope is that the outcome will be a reflection of the will of Nigerians.”
Earlier, Odinga told the Senate President that Nigeria and Kenya maintained a long standing relationship.
He expressed delight in knowing more about the uniqueness of the Nigerian National Assembly in relation to the Kenyan parliament.
LEADERSHIP reports that at its annual conference and awards chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, which earlier held at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, Odinga spoke on ‘Credible Elections and An Economy in Transition’.
Delivering Credible Election, A Challenge – Mrs Nda-Isaiah
Welcoming guests at the occasion, the chairman of LEADERSHIP Group, Mrs. Zainab Nda-Isaiah, said the theme of this year’s edition was apt because it is coming at a time Nigeria is heading towards a major election.
“Nigeria, which has about 16 percent of the continent’s population and its largest economy, has experienced stable constitutional government in the last 24 years, including the displacement of a ruling party by the opposition through the ballot The Mighty Ballot in a transition hailed across the globe. And We sincerely thank God for that.
“The challenge of the moment, however, as we look forward to the polls in February and March is how to, once again, deliver free, credible and transparent elections at all levels of government, one that would hopefully pave the way for the enormous, ginormous (excuse my French) task of rebuilding a country currently facing multiple challenges in a very difficult, and hostile macro-economic environment.”
We’ll Tackle Drug Menace Frontally, Marwa Declares
On his part, the chairman and chief executive officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig.Gen Buba Marwa (retd), has appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari and the staff of the agency after he won the LEADERSHIP person of the year award.
On the award, Marwa said it will motivate him and the agency to do more to tackle the problem of drug abuse and peddling in the country.
Speaking at the sidelines of the LEADERSHIP awards in Abuja yesterday, Marwa said, “This award is going to ginger us, encourage us to do even more in this fight. It is a fight that we are succeeding in and we will succeed.”
LEADERSHIP Award, An Inspiration For Future Accomplishments – Oramah
For the president and chairman of the Africa Export Import Bank (AFREXIM), Dr Benedict Oramah , the LEADERSHIP Group Awards is a call for both the award winners and the public to strive towards accomplishing more.
Oramah, who was named Leadership Person of the Year 2022, said, “The award will serve as inspiration to us to rise above the accomplishments of the past. I hope that the taboos we may have broken, the beaten paths we may have created and the barriers we may have removed will inspire others to explore new grounds and become winners of the Leadership awards in 2024 and beyond.”
Commending the vision and doggedness of the Founder of the Leadership Group, Sam Nda Isaiah, he said “Leadership Newspaper has risen from humble beginnings to become the true conscience of our nation, Nigeria, and indeed Africa.
“It is no wonder that the annual awards have become the celebration of achievements that shape the future. Leadership Newspaper has once again demonstrated that it stands for excellence. I am proud to be recognized today alongside each and every of the awardees.
“I would also like to commend the Leadership Group for its contribution to sustainable development in Africa and the vital role it has been playing in bringing to the front burner the subject of leadership and governance which are critical pillars for sustainable development.
“We thank you (Leadership Group) for your pan African vision which will undoubtedly contribute towards realization of the goals of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA).”
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I’ll Make NSCDC World Class – Audi
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) yesterday received the LEADERSHIP Newspaper outstanding Government Agency of the Year 2022 award for distinguishing itself in the protection of lives and critical national assets.
Fielding questions exclusively from our correspondent after receiving the award at the 14th Edition of the LEADERSHIP Annual Conference and Awards, described the award as a motivational incentive that will help the Corps advance into a world class elite organisation.
He pledged the readiness of the agency to ensure coordinated security and prevent vote- buying during and after the forthcoming elections in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s pronouncement.
Dr. Audi who acknowledged that the Nigeria Police is the lead agency in election security, promised to work closely with all security agencies to ensure a peaceful vote cast by citizens.
PMB Has Repositioned Nigeria Economy – FCT Minister
The minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello, has said that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has over the last seven and a half years repositioned the Nigerian economy and put it firmly on the path of growth and economic sustainability outside of the oil and gas sector.
The minister, who made this known at the 2022 Leadership Annual Conference and Awards in Abuja, said that a lot of attention was therefore focused on agricultural, mining, and solid minerals sectors as well as the development of the small and medium enterprises sector.
Bello further said that this action has in effect put the Nigerian economy on the path to growth and economic recovery which can only be achieved through free and fair elections where the in-coming administration will build on the legacies of President Muhammadu Buhari.
LEADERSHIP Leading In Promotion Of Peace, Security, Election – PSC
The Presidential Support Committee (PSC) has praised the LEADERSHIP Group, publishers of LEADERSHIP, LEADERSHIP Friday, LEADERSHIP Weekend and LEADERSHIP Hausa for leading in promoting peace, security and election in Nigeria.
The representative of the national coordinator, PSC, Mallam Gidado Ibrahim, stated this at the LEADERSHIP Conference and Awards ceremony held at the International Conference Centre Abuja, yesterday.
“Nigerians should do everything within the constitution of the country to ensure that they conduct themselves in a peaceful manner. With what LEADERSHIP Newspaper is advancing, the coming elections should be peaceful. We should avoid fake news that creates betrayal and dishonesty among us.
“With a peaceful election, the country’s security and economy will be boosted. Peace will boost our economy and security will be boosted. We need peace before, during and after the elections, ” Ibrahim said.
