Anambra Elections: Our Elections

IT may, on the surface, dishearten us that the Gubernatorial Elections of two weeks ago ended in shambles and inconclusiveness. But what seems me most important is what it portends for our liberal democracy as manifest in our electoral process. The critical issues with regard to the elections are; the apathetic character of the elections; the massive irregularities that the election was fraught with; the status of our electoral organ, the INEC and our nation’s political character and culture— the politicians and their attitude to political power.

What will all these imply for the immediate future of our national politics especially the 2015 polls and the future of our democracy? First is voters’ apathy. Irrespective of the bloating of polling figures in numerous elections in the past— especially with regard to the Gubernatorial and Presidential elections of 2011 whereby, in some states, polling figures were in some cases higher than the registered voters or polled figures were as high as 80% to 90%, there is no question that there is manifest apathy to election in our country.

There is crass absence of confidence in the election process, the political process and the relationship between electioneering outcome and the sovereign will of the electorate. No doubt, and in spite of the obvious improvement in the credibility of our elections as becoming fairer and freer based on the growing credibility of the leadership of INEC in the last four or so years, the electorate are not enthused with the outcome of elections in our country. There is no confidence, whatsoever in the performance of the political parties and their elective culture. Votes hardly reflect the wishes of the electorate. Thus, there is low and poor turnout for elections at all levels during elections. There is general apathy among the electorate of Nigeria. This has come out, quite glaringly, in the Anambra elections of a fortnight ago. The polling figures speak volumes. Out of the 1, 763, 761 registered voters in the State, only 451, 826 were really accredited to vote in the election. This is less than 26% of the registered voters. Out of these, 429, 549 votes were reported cast out of which 16, 544 were invalidated, while 113, 113 were out- rightly cancelled. The bizarre implication is that 74% or 1.3million Anambra’s registered electorate were disenfranchised. Now, this takes for granted that the voter’s register of Anambra was authentic and accurate. In this stark reality that confronts us from the polls, what level of credibility can be attributed to such an electoral process and exercise?

How credible and praiseworthy is the performance of INEC who umpired this ‘ wonderful’ electoral process? No matter what condemnation and vituperations have been showered on the INEC, especially its boss Professor Attahiru Jega by a bemused and perturbed nation, given all the promises, expectations and rising confidence in the electoral body, there is no question that INEC ought to be genuinely worried about the conduct and outcome of this election. The bases for the lifted expectation of the electorate over this election are found in the assurances given by the INEC over the level of preparation it had made for the election. What with the database that it informed the nation that it is generating? To carry this out, a whopping sum of N100billion was required, requested for, and, I believe, given. Compared to the stupefying obfuscation and muddling that took place during the election, the usually impatient Nigerians could only become more dizzy and daze. Some are raising alarm of blue murder. No question, Professor Attahiru Jega’s integrity and well- earned reputation for Spartan character and rectitude, as a person, as far as most of us who know him intimately are concerned, remain un- assailed.

This is accentuated by the steps that he has already taken to bring to book all of his staffers who are inculpated in this shady and shoddy election outcome in Anambra. He has already asked those potentially indictable to be prosecuted and requisite reprisals meted out. He had admitted without hesitation that the election has been greatly marred and had put on hold the declaration of a winner and had ordered new polls in 210 polling unites where acute irregularities

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had taken place. Above all, he had not only taken responsibility for the confusion at the polls, he had quite characteristically apologized to the nation for the sordid deficit in the credibility of the polls. This is quite salutary but does not remedy the situation in itself.

Many have attributed the apology, not to statesman- liness and humility in power, but to an admission of failure. Those who are willing to line up with the latter have refused to take a historical account of the character of the Nigerian politician and the history of Anambra polls. But this is not making an excuse for the ugliness of the outcome of the Anambra polls. INEC must work hard and fast to restore confidence, which it had begun to build, prior to this election, in the electoral organ and process. The Anambra mess must be cleared and the march toward 2015, which is already gathering a tornado, must be ensured as manageable and practicable. Jega and his Commission have an unenviable task ahead. Note that the election was peacefully. The security was effective and there was no eruptive violence throughout the process. Nigerians must note and commend that as a positive aspect of a dispiriting electoral exercise.

What we must never underestimate is the character of the Nigerian partisan politics and the politicians running it. Greed and obnoxious power lust at the expense of national interest epitomize Nigeria’s power politics. The political parties are singing different and diverse choruses. While the font- running candidates from APGA ( Willie Obiano) and PDP ( Tony Nwoye) are in sympathy with INEC’s supplementary election as proposed, the APC ( and its candidate, Chris Ngige) who feel worst hit and done in Goodluck Jonathan that Nigeria may as well come to an end by 2015 is a prophecy that those in authority must take seriously. Those of us under have since saw the danger and are talking and warning those who may likely make such a prophesy come to pass see reason and act against the realization of such a prognosis.

The tragedy is that those in power do not either think or see in the manner that we do. They have eyes but they don’t see. They have ears but they don’t hear. This may be the reason why we may see the unfortunate.

There are two issues that must be attended to immediately. President Jonathan has asked that Nigerian confer. There is only one agenda for that conference. Good governance. That is what is lacking. That is why Nigerians are complaining. That is why despite the numerous national resources that abound in the country there is unimaginable poverty in the land. That is why minor issues like religion and tribe have become the major issues. That is why things are not working in the country.

Anybody telling you that Nigeria’s problems are tribe and religion or region is not only talking from the surface but the real issues are education, health, hunger, jobs among many other things. by the electoral process have rejected in its entirety the proposed selective new polls in favour of total cancellation of the whole election. Now, are these divergent positions and diverse perspectives based on altruism? Are these positions a resultant commitment to credible elections and the survival of our democracy or sheer self- interest? Is APGA identifying with supplementary election because it is set to win, given the figure it already garners that puts her way ahead of the other parties and will come to no harm by the supplementary polls? What is the interest of the PDP which is the first runner- up? Is the PDP concerned with the future of democracy and peace in the State or playing the game of ensuring that its key opponent, the APC, fails in the State, irrespective of who wins? In other words, is the PDP just satisfied that APGA wins even if the PDP loses so long as the APC does not gain a foothold in Anambra— a clear case of chicken ( APC) pours away my medicine and I ( PDP) shall smash her egg! The APC finds her candidate worst affected by the electoral fumbling in Anambra and cannot objectively assess the limited level of the irregularity, since a supplementary run will not improve her electoral fortunes.

In the final analysis, it is the political future of the nation that is at stake. The INEC should bolster up to rectify the situation in Anambra and conclude the polls in a way that will restore confidence in the electoral body to prepare and take the nation’s electoral democracy beyond 2015. Otherwise, danger looms for the nation.

Politicians of all shades and shapes must drop parochial partisanship and save the Anambra elections, nay our nation’s elections.

The agenda for the national conference is good governance. It is about corruption. It is management of national and local resources. Those in positions of authority and other privileged citizens must stop deceiving the unassuming population with rhetoric and lies. Instead, the truth must be told. And the truth is that our rulers have failed us.

Secondly, those forces working towards rigging the 2015 elections must begin to think otherwise because Nigerians are desirous peace. Personal ambitions must subordinate itself to the will of the majority. The country in my view is assuming a different dimension. Despite the epileptic manner the civil rule project has moved on, one thing you cannot take away from the people is that they are increasingly becoming conscious and those things that happened and were tolerated a few years ago may not have any place in the contemporary reality.

Those who should hear must hear and those who should know must know that Nigeria deserves better from those who either have benefitted or are benefitting from it. Those in glass houses, they say, must not throw stones.

Nigeria and Nigerians are at the mercy of those who call the shots.