Can INEC Redeem Its Image in Edo?

With barely one week to the governorship election in Edo State, Nigerians are keenly watching to see if the Independent National Electoral Commission will redeem itself after what many viewed as its inglorious outings in the past elections, Davidson Iriekpen writes

As the governorship election in Edo State draws nearer, the expectation of Nigerians is that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will redeem its battered image. Though the electoral umpire is intensifying efforts to ensure that the polls are credible, analysts are skeptical given the previous records of the electoral umpire, especially in the February and March 2023 elections. 

The commission’s record was worse in the subsequent November 11 off-cycle governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states as there were more reported cases of malpractices at the polls, which crashed another dream of a free and fair election.

Generally, a free, fair and credible election is one in which the electorate is free to make their choices through the ballot without fear, inducement, threat or intimidation from anyone. It is one in which all contestants are given a level-playing field to compete without anyone enjoying any undue advantage over others and the process is seen to be transparent, with the result devoid of manipulation, and underhand dealing by critical stakeholders like INEC and police.

In the last elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states, many Nigerians felt that the commission  colluded with the incumbent state governors to manipulate the process in their favour. 

In the three states, the election results in many areas were believed to have been generated and not a true reflection of the votes.

It was believed that INEC officials condoned irregularities as manifested in several people who were caught with pre-filled result sheets before the elections started. Election officers allegedly uploaded fictitious figures into IReV.

In Kogi Central senatorial district for instance, where former Governor Yahaya Bello and his successor and incumbent governor, Usman Ododo hail from, almost all the results were pre-filled even far above the number of registered voters to give them advantage.

In Imo State, the commission declared APC winner in all the 27 local government areas, including areas where insecurity affected the turnout of voters.

This is why the Edo State election offers the commission an opportunity to redeem its image under the leadership of its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. The poll would again significantly impact public trust in the commission’s ability to conduct credible elections in 2027.

If INEC conducts credible, fair and transparent elections in Edo, its performance will mitigate the controversies surrounding the 2023 general election. Yakubu should realise that it is his reputation and integrity that are at stake once again. 

This is why he should use the Edo election to demonstrate that he has learnt from his mistakes and redeem himself.

In the penultimate week, the electoral umpire declared that all measures had been put in place for the smooth conduct of the election. Its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Sam Olumekun, who was represented by the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mery Nkem made this known while fielding questions from journalists during the pre-election news conference in Abuja.

Also last week, INEC Chairman, Yakubu was in the state to conduct mock election and test run some of the equipment for the poll.   

Before he came to the state, his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, had given the assurance that the commission had put measures in place to prevent cases of prefilled result sheets witnessed in Kogi from reoccurring in Edo or future elections anywhere in the country. 

Oyekanmi added that even the latest hike in the price of petrol would not affect the conduct of the governorship election. He noted that the commission was already meeting with officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) on the new development to ensure that electoral materials would arrive every local government area early.

“I can assure you that the commission took active steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again. In fact, our result sheets cannot be forged because they are custom-made. They have security features and nobody knows what those security features will be.

“So, INEC has been able to perfect that aspect, that if you go ahead and print result sheets, you have just wasted your time because you will not have access to what we have, and you will not be able to make use of it.”

Oyekanmi also assured Nigerians that it would not be possible to collate results in any polling unit where the election is not held in Edo. He said there was no polling unit with zero voters in Edo; hence, the election was expected to be held in all the polling units across the state.

He added, however that “if an election does not take place because of one reason or the other, of course, the presiding officer must report that.”

Given INEC’s previous records, many Nigerians may not believe these assurances.

Key to the threat against credible poll in the state is the alarm raised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the election would not be free and fair, citing the key positions being occupied by the associates of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike, who is Obaseki’s known political enemy.

For instance, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Anugbum Onuoha, is believed to be Wike’s cousin, who had served as a Special Adviser on Lands when he was governor of Rivers State.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Nemi Edwin-Iwo, who was deployed to the state barely a month ago, is also alleged to be Wike’s associate as an indigene of Rivers State.

Many residents of the state believe that their posting to the state could not have been a coincidence but a deliberate plot to deliver the state to the APC.

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, had last week raised the alarm that the police were demonstrating to be acting in the interest of the APC by waging war against PDP members.

The governor wondered why many chieftains of his party have been arrested and detained outside the state while those instigating crises from the APC are walking free. It was on this ground that he threatened not to sign the Peace Accord.

The National Peace Committee led by a former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) should ensure that the REC and CP in the state are redeployed and replaced with officials whose neutrality are not in doubt.

Elections should not only be transparent but must be seen to be transparent.

The presence of the two key officials in Edo State has tainted the credibility of the yet-to-be conducted election.

INEC and the police are too critical agencies whose officials should not be associated with any political camp in any election.

With the associates of one of the political camps in charge of these two critical agencies, many have predicted the outcome of the exercise. This portends danger to democracy.

This is why the INEC chairman and the Inspector General of Police should redeploy these two officials and do everything within their powers to ensure that the will of Edo people prevails.

As the election holds on Saturday, September 21, all eyes are certainly on INEC and security agencies to conduct a free, fair, credible and transparent election in Edo State.