Unresolved Issues ahead of 2023 General Election

As the campaigns for the 2023 general election kick off, there are still some unresolved electoral issues, Iyobosa Uwugiaren reports

In line with the 2022 Electoral Act and the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Guidelines, the campaigns for the 2023 general election started last Wednesday, as 18 presidential candidates eye President Muhammadu Buhari’s plum position. In the next five months, over 95 million registered voters will choose Buhari’s successor among the candidates. Other candidates will also fill various positions.

INEC has said that the presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on February 25, 2023, followed by the governorship and state assembly elections on March 11, 2023.

Even though only the activities of four political parties: All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and their candidates have generated serious national conversations, there are also other parties in the race.

And amidst apprehension over the general election – occasioned by insecurity across the country, President Bihari, the security agencies and the INEC have continued to promise Nigerians and the international community that the elections would hold.

For instance, the Nigerian Guild of Editors Forum recently provided the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, a huge opportunity where he reiterated his determination to ensure that the fast-approaching 2023 general election would be the best.

Yakubu predicated his confidence on the Electoral Act and the genuine efforts being made by the commission, especially in the area of technological improvement.

Making a presentation at the forum organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in Lagos, Yakubu said that apart from being free, fair, transparent and credible, the 2023 general election would have additional features that would be verifiable – obviously making reference to the electronic transmission of results as spelt out in the Electoral Act.

It was also an opportunity the INEC boss used to dismiss the claim by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), through its spokesman, Ikenga Ugochinyere, who raised the alarm over an alleged existence of fictitious names in the INEC voters’ register.

Ugochinyere had displayed an alleged fraudulent extracts from the national voters’ register, which he claimed were part of at least “10 million fake registrations’’ done by one of the political parties.

According to the claim, the names were sourced from both within and outside Nigeria, including Ghana, Cameroon, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Togo, Guinea, Gambia, Jamaica, Brazil and New Zealand.

The INEC chairman described the claim as total falsehood, wondering where they got the so-called register of voters – when INEC was still cleaning up the register and therefore does not have any valid voter register at the moment.

He is also not unmindful of the huge financial implications of the Nigerian election. According to him, the cumulative voter register of the other 14 countries in West Africa stands at about 70 million, far short of the over 95 million voters in Nigeria.

On the claim that there was a secret court action to stop the use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in the 2023 general election, the INEC Chair said the commission was yet to be served any court paper to that effect. But he was quick to add that should such case come up and the commission is served, there is enough legal leverage in the Electoral Act to nullify any such move.

The INEC boss said that no fewer than 1.4 million personnel (adhoc and regular staff) would be needed to conduct the 2023 election.

President Buhari’s recent comment on the forthcoming elections was even more reassuring. While receiving Letters of Credence from Ambassadors and High Commissioners of six countries at the State House, Abuja, recently, Buhari had expressed optimism that Nigeria’s current political transition period would produce “new crop of political leaders’’ after the general election in the first quarter of 2023.

“I am highly optimistic that we will conduct a good transition process at the end of which a new set of political leaders will freely emerge’’, he reportedly said.

He told the envoys that “you are assuming your diplomatic responsibilities in Nigeria, at very interesting political period as Nigeria’s national elections are due in February 2023. 

“I want to state again, as I did just a few days ago at the UN General Assembly, that we remain committed to free and fair elections”.

The president promised that the participation of citizens in democracy would continue to be encouraged through freedom of speech and robust political discourse, urging respect for divergent cultures and opinions, and upholding the unity of the country.

Buhari’s optimism about free and fair elections came at a time the security chiefs are also said to be working assiduously to address the insecurity issues, which some people feared might encumber the elections.

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd), had declared recently that the Buhari-led federal government was unwavering in its determination to bequeath a transparent election before exiting the seat of power.

Alluding to “the successes recorded in the recent elections in Anambra, Osun and Ekiti states’’, the NSA said it was a clear demonstration of the president’s commitment to bequeath a level playing field to all contestants and his determination to bequeath the legacy of a strong institution and values to our beloved nation.

But in spite of the assurances given by the president, INEC and the security agencies, there is still noticeable uneasiness in the land – with many stakeholders arguing that conducting general election in a volatile security environment, coupled with growing ethnic and religious suspicion among different zones, would be difficult.

Some members of the international community, who appear to be interested in the elections, have continued to insist that security remains the best priority for them in their engagement and partnership with Nigeria, adding that that would likely be of “increased importance’’ ahead of the 2023 elections.    

Apart from the challenges of insecurity, there is also the concern of the character and the antecedents of the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) recently nominated and sent to the National Assembly for confirmation by President Buhari.

A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) – working to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process, had called on Buhari to withdraw their nominations. The all-encompassing argument of the coalition is that the Buhari’s nominees failed the “constitutional test of non-partisanship and integrity’’; and advised the Senate to reject the nominees because they “fall short of the threshold of non-partisanship and impeccable character.”

The CSOs included: Yiaga Africa, The Kukah Centre, International Press Centre (IPC), Centre for Media and Society, The Albino Foundation, Elect Her, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, Partners for Electoral Reform and Inclusive Friends Association.

The Senate had announced Buhari’s appointment of 19 RECs following the expiration of the tenure of the outgone RECs in 19 states. Of the 19 nominated RECs, 14 were new appointments, while five were reappointed.

The new nominees included: Pauline Onyeka Ugochi (Imo); Muhammad Lawal Bashir (Sokoto); Prof. Ayobami Salami (Oyo); Zango Abdu (Katsina); Queen Elizabeth Agwu (Ebonyi); Agundu Tersoo (Benue), Yomere Oritsemlebi (Delta); Prof. Yahaya Ibrahim, (Kaduna); Dr. Nura Ali (Kano); Agu Uchenna Sylvia (Enugu); Ahmed Garki (FCT); Hudu Yunusa (Bauchi); Prof Uzochukwu Chijioke, (Anambra); and Mohammed Nura (Yobe).

The reappointed nominees included: Ibrahim Abdullahi (Adamawa); Obo Effanga (Cross River); Umar Ibrahim (Taraba); Agboke Olaleke (Ogun); and Prof. Samuel Egwu (Kogi).

Speaking on behalf of the group, a Board Member of Yiaga Africa, Ezenwa Nwagwu disclosed that investigation and analysis by the civil societies revealed that some of the nominees put forward by Buhari failed the constitutional test of non-partisanship and unquestionable integrity.

According to him, evidence abound that some of the nominees are partisan, politically-aligned or previously indicted for corruption.

Citing Section 156(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which prohibited the appointment of any person who is a member of a political party as a member of INEC, the spokesperson for the coaltion, Nwagu, argued, “We contend that the appointment of these individuals as RECs will significantly undermine the neutrality and impartiality of the Independent National Electoral Commission, and it will increase mistrust in INEC and Nigeria’s electoral process.’’

He explained further that by the combined effect of Section 156 (1)(a) and Third Schedule, Part 1, Item F, paragraph 14 (1), these individuals are constitutionally prohibited from any appointment as members of INEC.

For the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mustapha Isah, vote-buying has become a threat to Nigeria democracy. “The Guild sees it as one of the manifestations of the weaponisation of poverty in the land.

“Poverty could make some Nigerians to offer their votes for sale for a paltry sum, not minding the devastating consequences on good governance. Why do politicians buy votes now? The answer is simple. Votes are beginning to count due to the reforms introduced by INEC’’, the NGE President had stated

While Isah expressed concern over the desperation of some Nigerian politicians, who may go to any length to manipulate the elections, he called on the INEC to take serious steps to safeguard the electoral systems.

For now, the race is on, and all eyes are on INEC, security agencies, politicians and the electorate.