INEC Faces Another Integrity Test in Ondo

As the Ondo State governorship election approaches, the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission will face another litmus test, writes Davidson Iriekpen 

A prominent issue on the lips of many Nigerians as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) prepares for the Ondo State governorship election, which is just a week away, is whether the electoral body will use the opportunity to redeem its battered image or not. Despite assurances from the electoral body, skepticism lingers over its ability to conduct a credible election. This doubt stems from its perceived failure to meet expectations in the 2023 general election, the previous off-cycle elections, particularly in Kogi, Imo, Bayelsa states, and the recent September 21 election in Edo State.

In these states, the commission’s record was worse as there were overwhelming cases of alleged malpractices at the polls.

Though the alleged malpractices truncated another dream of free and fair elections, the courts okayed the results of these states, except that of Edo that is still being contested. 

In Edo State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alleged that the commission colluded with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to manipulate the process in favour of APC candidate. It alleged inconsistencies in the results recorded at the polling units, the ones entered into Form EC8 and the ones uploaded by officials of the commission on its IReV.

The party also faulted INEC for failing to invoke its powers under Section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022 to review any declarations and returns where results were not declared voluntarily.

It is this baggage of distrust that the commission is carrying to Ondo State. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, must realise that his reputation and integrity are at stake once again and must show that he has learnt from his mistakes.

Speaking last Monday in Akure while assessing the state of the commission’s readiness for the election, Yakubu said the commission would improve on two critical areas of logistics and results management in the election, adding that they have learnt some lessons not only from the last Edo State election but also from previous ones, and that correction would be made in the coming election.

Another thing Yakubu said that perhaps elated the people of the state, was that the commission is committed to ensuring a swift and transparent electoral process, which is crucial for maintaining public trust in the democratic system. He added crucially that the results of the poll could potentially be available on the same day. This has always been a challenge and gives room for manipulation.

But assurances like this have become a cliché. Repeated delays, logistical challenges, and transparency issues have plagued past elections, dampening citizens’ confidence in their votes being accurately counted and their voices being genuinely represented.

Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of democracy. Without credible elections, the essence of democracy – government of the people, by the people, and for the people – loses its meaning. Any election that is fraught with fraud and violence is, therefore, a usurpation of the sovereignty of the people.

It is always curious to many Nigerians why INEC entangles itself with unnecessary controversies whenever an election approaches. This always creates unnecessary anxiety and doubt.

The first signs that the Edo governorship election would not be credible came with the revelation that the INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Edo, Anugbum Onuoha, is a cousin to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike. The minister is a known political enemy of Governor Godwin Obaseki.

One would think that with the revelation made, the commission would promptly redeploy the REC to show transparency and maintain its integrity.  Even when the PDP in the state demanded that Onuoha be redeployed, it refused to act. And what happened during the collation of the results tainted the credibility of the poll and vindicated the party and observers.

For instance, the civil society organisations (CSOs) that monitored the election, issued a damning review of the poll, declaring that the results from several polling units were altered at coalition centres.

While the Situation Room said the conduct of the election lacked credibility, Yiaga Africa, one of the accredited observers, also declared the results as lacking integrity.

In the same vein, the PDP in Ondo is demanding the redeployment of the REC, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola. In an open letter to Yakubu, signed by the party’s State Secretary, Oluseye Olujimi, the party said the REC had an alleged fraternity with leaders of the APC in the state and, therefore, unfit for the role of umpire in the election.

The party specifically stressed that Babalola was not qualified to be an umpire in the forthcoming governorship election in the state, because she has been a resident there for more than three decades.

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State resonated the call during a recent governorship campaign in the state.

But in its response, INEC, through the Chief Press Secretary to Yakubu, Rotimi Oyekanmi, rejected the request, saying that posting and redeployment of RECs were not influenced by political parties or partisan individuals. He argued that nobody has come up with any genuine, incontrovertible evidence of criminal or unethical conduct against Babalola.

An election and all the processes leading to it should be fair and transparent, but INEC has established a reputation for embarking on actions that erode the confidence of critical stakeholders ahead of every election and thus discredit its own elections before they are held.

Officials saddled with the responsibility of managing any election should not only be neutral but must be seen to be neutral by all the critical stakeholders.

It is imperative that the commission should address the concerns and complaints of critical stakeholders before it loses whatever remains of its credibility.

Also, recent statements attributed to the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, have cast doubt on the credibility of elections conducted by INEC.

For instance, while the PDP in Edo State and election observers were complaining about the September 21, 2024 poll, Ganduje while celebrating the victory of Monday Okpebholo, said his party would use its template in the Edo governorship election to win the November 16 election in Ondo and also take over Anambra, and other states in the South-east in future elections.

Even when he led members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC to a stakeholders’ meeting in Akure recently, Ganduje said APC would capture Ondo and other South-west states, stressing that the strategy to be deployed to win the Ondo election would be kept under wraps.

He noted that taking over control of Ondo and Osun states would boost the reelection bid of President Bola Tinubu, who is from the region, in 2027.

“In this geopolitical zone, we must deliver 100 per cent in favour of APC. Therefore, Ondo State, you must be at the forefront, the two other states – Oyo and Osun – we will capture them, but I will not reveal our secret. We are strategising. Everything must be 100 per cent behind President Bola Tinubu,” he said.

These utterances, to many observers, are ominous signs that INEC will not deliver a credible election any time soon.