As We Count Down To The Big Day

The Insight by Lateef Adewole

In the next one week, the big day will be here. The much anticipated 2023 general elections will commence with the presidential and national assembly elections. The results of all the preparations by all stakeholders in the elections, especially the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), since 2019, immediately after they finished conducting the last general elections, will begin to manifest. There have been amendments to the electoral laws that guide their operations.

In all sincerity, the Commission Chairman, Professor Muhammud Yakubu, has done excellently well in their efforts to improve the performance of the electoral body, in giving Nigeria free, fair and credible elections. This entails deployment of technology in some areas to enhance transparency and accountability. The adoption of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) are two critical facilities that have improved the quality and credibility of the recent elections conducted using them, as witnessed in Ekiti and Osun state governorship elections.

The INEC has been on top of the situation and has a handle on things. Great planning, testing, readjustments and the likes, have been done repeatedly to avoid any glitch on these days. They recently carried out mock elections in 436 polling units across the country in furtherance to that, which was adjudged to be successful. Barring unforeseeable circumstance, the Commission can be said to be ready for this. Largely, the INEC, under the current leadership, has improved greatly, as a departure from when he was newly appointed and the bitter experiences of inconclusive elections.

The business of conducting free, fair and credible elections is not that of INEC alone, all the stakeholders must be involved, be responsible and do their own parts. The president, as the leader of the country, has critical roles to play. Being the appointing officer of the INEC Chairman and other National Commissioners, he has a duty to ensure they deliver on their mandate. Despite belonging to a party, in matters of INEC, he must be seen to be above board, allowing the Commission to do its jobs without interference.

Ironically, whatever kind of election is conducted under a president, he will be responsible for the outcomes. We know of those whose reputation has been eternally damaged because of what happened to a free and fair election conducted under their administration but they annulled it. It has hunted them and will continue to hunt them till death and even after death. Sadly, many only call their names and not the name of the electoral body chairman or any other contributor to that misadventure, at the time. So, President Buhari should be mindful of the legacy he wants to leave behind.

In trying to do this, he must be vigilant. Oftentimes, a leader with good intentions could be manipulated by those around him with their own sinister agenda. They continue to advise the president on what to do, making him feel it is the best thing that will make him look good. Such has been the experience we have had in the last few weeks with regards to the naira notes swap. Whoever advised him to implement such policy at a critical time like this is an enemy of the country.

We have all witnessed the repercussions of this. It has been the grace of God that has kept the country intact till this morning. It wouldn’t have been unexpected had the country gone up in flames, considering the untold, needless agonies that the people have been subjected to. How could you have your money in your bank accounts and be going hungry, not for lack of foods to buy and eat, but because you are denied access to your hard-earned money?

Those who think it is at election period such policy should be implemented do not mean well for Nigeria, Nigerians and our democracy. That was the reason for insinuating that they don’t want the elections to hold. “Ó jo gáté, kò jo gàté, ó fesè méjèèji tiro”. If it is not so, doesn’t it look so? President Buhari should not, in his attempt to catch few rats, set the forest on fire. It does not make sense. That seems to be what he has done with the cash swap. He should not allow himself to be misguided and used to truncate a democracy he didn’t fight for but he has benefitted and enjoyed from, and became president through, on the platter. “A j’ogun ewu etu, ko m’oyi agbada nla”. History won’t be kind to him if that happens.

The INEC has been assured of getting the quantum of money in cash and fuel they require to do their work. News had it two days ago of their complain that the cash has not been given yet. They need this cash for logistics. I watched the CBN governor gave Professor Yakubu assurances last week, even if I can’t trust whatever comes out of his mouth again. I hope he does his part. The security agents who will be deployed will also require huge cash for mobilisation. These are additional burden and risks that the policy has created. Cash mobilisation for staff, security agents and others involved in election duties were never part of risk assessment in the past elections. CBN has added them to it now.

Same as the GMD of the NNPCL, Mallam Mele Kyari. In his meeting with INEC Chairman last week, he assured them of sufficient fuel. Well, queues seem to be reducing even if people still buy at outrageous prices across the country, despite that NNPCL will still say they subsidised the petrol. What kind of criminality is that? INEC engages transporters under the unions like NURTW. Their vehicles need to be fuelled to make movements for distribution of sensitive, non-sensitive materials and staff possible and seamless. That has become another challenge now. An unanticipated risk.

The IGP said that over 300,000 police officers will be deployed across the country on election duties on Saturday. Other sister security agencies will do the same. These officers should be properly oriented to know and understand their roles and responsibilities during the elections. Protection of lives, properties, INEC officials, their materials, voters, the voting process, election results until final announcements are made, and immediately post elections, remain their jobs. No officer should allow themselves to be used through financial inducements or otherwise. They should realise that they are first Nigerians too, before being police officers and others. Whatever happens to the country, they and their families will bear the brunt too. Their loyalty should be to Nigeria and not to anyone, any politician or any political party.

The body in the eyes of the storm is INEC. They have planned and prepared. It is time to execute and deliver. Neutrality is the first principle expected from them. It is the actions of INEC staff that often put elections at risk. This particularly concerns those in lower rung of the ladder, like the adhoc staff. They can be more easily compromised through finacial inducements from unscrupulous politicians and their agents. They must be properly oriented to know the consequences of their actions.

The INEC should also provide them with needed resources, including funds. This could minimise temptation. The deployment of men and materials should be prompt. Lateness should be avoided as it could increase tension at such locations and put undue pressure on the INEC officials on ground when they eventually start.

The most “dreaded” stakeholder in the whole process are the politicians and political parties. Every political party and their candidates belive they should win, sometimes, irrationally. These elections will be keenly contested. For a long time, we have not witnessed one where the stake is so high. The calibre of the presidential candidates involved and their personalities raised the bar. This has reflected in the intensity of their campaigns. For once, there have been serious intensive and elaborate campaigns by candidates. And as we go into the elections, no one could say with certainty, who the likely winner would. Everyone is just hopeful that their preferred candidates win.

Politicians should know that we need to first have a country before we have a government and political positions they are vying for. They need to be more careful as we count down to the big day, especially, the presidential election. They will be ending their campaigns across the country in the coming days. By now, many voters have made up their minds as to who they will vote for, apart from some areas where they are told what to do.

So, there is no need to further heat up the polity in their desperation. Power belongs to God and He gives whoever He wishes. Each candidate has been doing what they needed to do; talking to the people, selling themselves and their plans, reaching out to others, forming alliances, touching base and so on. The ball is in the court of the electorates to choose whoever they want, without fear, favour, intimidation or harassment.

For each position, only one winner will emerge. Even if every candidate expects he or she will be that winner, they must be prepared for situation where things don’t go their ways. Elections, getting to political offices, serving the people, as they often claim, should not be do-or-die affairs. If people say “don’t serve us” with their votes, why should politicians feel they must serve them? “Na by force ni?” So, all politicians should be prepared to accept the outcomes of the elections. Where they disagree with the outcomes based on whatever irregularities they perceive, on no account should they take laws into their own hands.

The constitution has provided leeway for redress in such instances. They should be patient and approach the tribunals to seek redress by presenting their cases. We call on the judiciary to be up and doing in this regards. It is not abnormal that aggrieved parties approach the judiciary to seek justice. However, the level of judicial involvement in our elections is becoming alarming and worrisome. This is not only bringing that sacred arm of government to disrepute, but it is constituting judicial interference in our electoral process, casting aspersions on it.

In pre and post election matters, we have seen the judiciary intervening rightly or otherwise, in the past elections and have started again since we began this new journey to 2023. That arm, which used to be the last hope of the common man, should not allowed itself to dash that hope. Or truncate their desires of choosing who they want to represent them in various political positions. These have happened in the past. In that ignoble annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election, the judiciary allowed itself to be used to thwart the will of the people. The catastrophic aftermath was there for all to remember. Such misdemeanours need to stop.

Now to the people. The citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Next week presents another opportunity for us to choose our leaders at the national level, and at the state levels, two weeks after, “ceteris paribus”. We should all go out enmass to perform our civic responsibility. It is our duty to our country, ourselves, and generations to come. This is because, whatever happens today is the commulation of past actions and events. For our yesterday’s choices, we are living with their consequences today. What will happen tomorrow we be influenced largely by our choices now. So, we should choose wisely. Every person has their preferred candidates. They should be free to go ahead and cast their votes for them peacefully. That’s democracy.

The people, especially the youths, should not allow themselves to be hoodwinked by politicians into causing violence and disrupting the elections. It is their present and future we are talking about here. The politicians who want to hire and use them for such heinous jobs have their own children kept safely at home or abroad. Don’t allow yourself to be wasted. The people should also shun vote selling. They should not let their conscience be bought with money on election days. They should freely vote for who they want.

In good conscience, I am finding it difficult to see how this will not happen. It was a rampant phenomenon in the past but many people still voted without being induced by the politicians with money. However, with the untold hardship that Nigerians have faced and gone through in the last few weeks, foisted on them by the badly implemented cash swap policy of the CBN, I can’t see where hungry citizens won’t sell their votes massively, far more than we have ever witnessed in the past. This is one of the consequences we have warned the promoters of. That would have been counterproductive.

Elections will come and go. Nigeria will remain if the people are sensible enough to avoid post election violence. Like I mentioned earlier, only one candidate will win for each post. Each supporter should be prepared to accept whatever the outcomes are. They should not go violent in protesting against the loss of their preferred candidates. In life, you win some, you lose some. Let us not be agents of destruction and disstabilisation of our dear country, Nigeria. We can only pray that the best candidates, who will move this country forward, win. So help us God!

May God continue to protect us and guide us aright.

God Bless Nigeria.

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February 18, 2023.