HOLDING ALL ELECTIONS SAME DAY

It’s worth trying as it is less wasteful

For years, THISDAY newspaper has advocated a rethink of the current practice of holding the general election on multiple days in Nigeria because of its varied implications: The closure of borders, declaration of holidays on days preceding voting, restrictions on movement during the exercise, deployment of military troops and a disproportionate number of police and security personnel, etc. These are some of the issues we have argued deserve interrogation in a nation where elections are conducted almost as war. And for these reasons, we endorse the ongoing discussions in the National Assembly for Nigeria to join many other countries where general elections are held in just one day.

Last Thursday, a bill seeking to mandate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct all elections in one day passed second reading at the Senate. The bill aims to reduce costs while providing a specific time for conducting elections, declaration of results and swearing-in of elected candidates. If it is eventually passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the president, all elections in the country, including presidential, governorship, National Assembly, and state assembly would be conducted on the same day. Under the current arrangement, elections are held on different days. While the presidential and National Assembly elections are held the same day, the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections are held on another day, usually two weeks apart.

At a period like this when the country is looking for cost-cutting measures to survive amid dwindling revenues, a one-day general election as it is done in many other countries, including within the West African sub-region, is best. We therefore consider Senator Saliu Mustapha’s bill a worthwhile proposition that deserves the support of his colleagues. Under the prevailing electoral system, it sometimes takes between three to four weeks to conduct the various elections during which all economic—and sometimes even academic—activities are usually grounded throughout the country.

Of course, there are also those who argue that since INEC still has difficulties in holding crisis-free elections under the existing staggered formula, there is no assurance that the electoral body would get it right if all elections were held in one day. That may be a legitimate concern. But in lending support to the single-day voting, we have weighed all the negatives against the extant staggered elections. It is indeed noteworthy that shortly after the 2011 general elections, former INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega suggested the idea of holding all elections in the country on the same day. In proposing the single-day elections, Jega noted that the existing arrangement is wasteful in terms of energy, time and money. We share Jega’s view.

First and foremost, the current system is not cost effective as the nation was almost always shut down for several days whenever elections were held with all the attendant economic implications. There is also the issue of voter fatigue as turnout of electorate usually declined after the first major poll. This is aside from the last-minute postponement that has almost become a tradition at every election season. Furthermore, and perhaps more fundamental, is the notorious fact that once the presidential and national assembly elections are held first and results declared, subsequent elections tend to reflect the so-called bandwagon effect.

We therefore endorse single day voting because, as has been evident in countries where it is practiced, it would take care of the waste and allegations of manipulation usually associated with staggered polls. The main concern has always been whether INEC will really get its act together to ensure that all logistics problems in terms of management of ballot papers and voting materials to polling centres as currently being encountered will be eliminated prior to introducing the single-day voting. 

But that does not obviate the fact that it is worth trying what has been perfected even in smaller West African countries, with a multiplicity of political parties competing for power.