The Burden of an Umpire

Less than two years in the saddle as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, must have come to the realization that he has the toughest job of his life. Being an umpire among immature and desperate politicians means that he will constantly come under heavy criticisms, genuine or frivolous.

Many are quick to compare him with his distinguished predecessor, Professor Attahiru Jega and forgot hat Jega too was not doing well as INEC chair two years into his tenure. He suddenly became a star due to the way he conducted the 2015 presidential elections.

Even when the statistics show otherwise, some have already labelled him the master of inconclusive elections. Shortly before he left office as the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Augustine Alegeh, SAN at  the Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, on Sunday, 21st August 2016 accused him of conducting 136 inconclusive elections. Although, he hardly responds to such allegations, Yakubu caused the commission  to issue a reaction.

The commission dismissed the allegation that all elections conducted since Yakubu assumed office as chairman of the commission had been inconclusive.

It said it conducted 139 elections which were concluded. The statement reads: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seldom takes issues with members of the public. But the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is a highly distinguished and respected and respected person.

“Besides, he represents a knowledgeable and influential constituency. His pronouncements are therefore weighty and could pass for the gospel truth.

“The commission has thus far concluded 139 elections (118 at first ballot and 21 after supplementary) out of a total of 163 scheduled elections and that 22 elections were suspended due to violence while 2 elections are sub-judice.

“This shows that 72.3 percent of the elections were concluded at the first ballot, 21.8 percent of the inconclusive elections were concluded after supplementary; 1.2 percent are pending; while 13.4 percent were suspended in Rivers state due to violence.”

The commission said Alegeh’s pronouncement was “ill informed”, “misplaced and undeserved”.

The commission, while assuring that it remained unwavering and irrevocably committed to delivering elections that are free, fair and credible, said “inconclusive elections are caused by violence and over-voting and that the notion of inconclusive election is not strange to our law (see Section 26 and 53 of Electoral Act 2010 as amended)”.

While the commission’s defence on why some elections were inconclusive remains valid, there had been occasions when the decision to suspend elections was purely political. That was what happened in Kogi State last year when the commission suddenly suspended the governorship election in the state citing violence. The allegation that it did so to avoid violence was never substantiated.

This defence also raises a red flag. If INEC and security agencies are unable to stop violence when election is being conducted in only one state, what will then happen when election is being conducted in the whole country on the same day?

The INEC that Yakubu inherited has a reputation for implementing its programmes very late. He will have to find a way to change that.

It should however, be pointed out that there are factors beyond the control of the commission which make it difficult for it to  start implementing its programmes quite early. One of such factors, is budgetary allocation. The commission does not have control over when its allocation will come. The professor will have to come up with innovation to deal with these challenges. That is why the job of INEC chair is not for everyone. For instance, the 2019 general election isn’t too far away but the commission has yet to start voters education and registration.

Voters apathy remains a challenge for the commission. Many Nigerians have lost confidence in the electoral system despite efforts by Jega to make sure this is not so. Yakubu has to defeat voters apathy. He must embark on a rigorous enlightenment programme and must also conduct credible elections.

Last month, Partners for Electoral Reform, a civil society organization called on the commission to commence early voters education and registration to ensure credible elections in 2019. The Chairman of PER, Ezenwa Nwagwu, said: “The commission has few months to the 2019 general elections and has a reputation of late start. To forestall tension, the commission needs to make available to stakeholders its design and implementation plan for 2019 general election voter education activities.

“A lot of Nigerians are ignorant of the electoral processes and act which hinders them from exercising their franchise.

“INEC should carry out intense awareness to the grass roots and also simplify the electoral act for easy understanding.” Yakubu would be well advised to heed this advice.

He will also have to encourage prosecution of INEC staff and any other persons who commit an offence  during elections. He appeared to support the establishment of an electoral offences commission or tribunal citing the success recorded by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. However, what happens before this commission is established? A suggestion is that the INEC chairman should press for such offenders to be prosecuted under the existing laws. In this regard, the INEC chairman deserves commendation for setting up a special unit to prosecute electoral offenders. He should also insist political parties screen their candidates thoroughly.

The commission appears to be too lenient on its staff who aide in the commission of electoral offences. This also has to change. The staff of the commission must see him as a mister no nonsense and they will fall in line once he is ready to show erring staff the way out.

A professor of Political History and International Studies, Mahmood Yakubu was born in Bauchi, the capital of Bauchi State  North-East Nigeria in 1962. He had his early education at Kobi Primary School and later at the Teachers’ college, Toro and later to the University of Sokoto (now Usmanu Danfodiyo University) where he graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in History. He is reputed to be the only one from the whole of northern Nigeria to have obtained a first class honours degree in history. At the age of 29, he obtained a Doctor of Philosophy Degree from the prestigious University of Oxford with specialization in Nigerian History in 1991. He was a recipient of the Bauchi State Government Scholarship to study at both the Cambridge and Oxford Universities in England and his outstanding intellectual artistry at Cambridge further earned him a scholarship of the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust.

He began his working career in the academia  as a Graduate Assistant – Lecturer I, University of Jos, Senior Lecturer, Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, Associate Professor, Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna as well as Professor of History, Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna. At various times he served as head and dean of some faculties. For example he was head, Department of History, dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, director, academic planning unit, as well as pioneer dean, postgraduate school.     Yakubu was a three time-time winner of the Overseas Research Student (ORS) Award by the London-based Committee of Vice-Chancellors of United Kingdom (UK) Universities. He was also a recipient of the competitive Commonwealth Scholarship of the Association of Commonwealth Universities tenable at the University of Oxford.

In 2007,  he was appointed the Executive Secretary of the Education Trust Fund (ETF) now known as Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). He was a member, Transformation Task Team, Federal Ministry of Education from 2006-2007; chairman, Presidential Technical Committee for the Consolidation of Federal Tertiary Institutions 2006-2007;  member, Federal Government Negotiating Team with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) 2006-2009; Chairman, Presidential Committee on Needs Assessment of Nigerian Public Universities 2012; member, Presidential Task Team on Education 2010-2012 as well as a member, Implementation Committee on the Establishment of nine new federal universities 2011-2012. He was also a member of the 2014 National Conference where he headed the finance and administration section at its secretariat.

It should however, be pointed out that there are factors beyond the control of the commission which make it difficult for it to  start implementing its programmes quite early. One of such factors, is budgetary allocation. The commission does not have control over when its allocation will come. The professor will have to come up with innovation to deal with these challenges. That is why the job of INEC chair is not for everyone.