OPINION ] Enahoro] Eugene INEC’s examination

As the presidential election approaches increasing attention is being focused on the electoral umpire and the manner in which they will carry out the exercise. For the first time since 1999, the presidential elections will be contested by two major parties, and the contest is expected to be closer than has previously been the case. The current situation in which an incumbent always wins no matter how dismal his performance is really not acceptable and political optimists hope that this election will be the beginning of a healthy alternation in a basically two party system which will entrench democracy by providing a viable alternative as happens in all stable democratic nations. However in Nigeria incumbents are not prepared to accept their shortcomings and step aside gracefully because decent politicking and gracious acceptance of defeat are not in our character.

As usual the looming polls are being characterized by politics of bitterness, attack, blackmail, insults, outright lies, and threats. So much so that it was thought necessary for the participants to sign a non-violence accord, even though their supporters were not part of the arrangement. In addition to inciting campaign statements and a heated polity the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can expect to face attempts to manipulate results, schemes for vote rigging, and Court injunctions. Since 1999 they have conducted some of the worst elections in Nigerian history where many have died in violence; millions have been spent on litigation; and results regularly overturned. INEC has yet to learn how to conduct elections devoid of operational lapses, and recent State polls confirmed that although they are definitely improving they still have a long way to go. Logistical problems of late arrival of officials and electoral materials, will keep recurring unless INEC stop their wasteful “sensitization” exercises and spend money on “dry run” elections in order to identify the problematical centres.

In addition to operational lapses is the problem of “printer’s devil” which has led to ballot papers not being numbered, and names as well as party logos missing. Malfeasance within INEC is indicated by the fact that practically every contestant who defeats a PDP incumbent has to proceed to Court to claim their mandate. The personal integrity of their Chairman isn’t a factor in the failure of the organization to plug all the loopholes and put an end to manipulation of election results. Although the he has accused politicians of “reaching our people to subvert the process”, the truth is that like any other government agency INEC is riddled with incompetence and corruption. Pastor Tunde Bakare the Founding Pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly and former Vice-Presidential candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), has “predicted” that the results of the upcoming election will not be acceptable to supporters of either of the two main candidates if their man is declared the loser. In his opinion most party supporters on both sides believe that their candidate must and will win, and if they don’t then it must be due to rigging, violence, defective electoral preparations or other malpractices. There are many similarities between the manner in which INEC and the West African Examination Council (WAEC) conduct their affairs. Both require the public to register and have proof of identity before participating, both set up temporary centres to conduct their operations, both employ ad-hoc staff, both suffer from “leaked” documents, both experience logistical problems and both frustrate potential participants through complicated and inconvenient registration processes.

Both WAEC and INEC require their ad-hoc personnel to make their own transport arrangements, both their operations are compromised by the ill effects of internally assisted malpractices, and both always have problems with their results. Both also suffer from participants devising new means and trying everything crooked to alter the outcome in their favour. At first glance there would also appear to be a similarity between an INEC election ballot paper and a WAEC multiple choice examination question as on both pieces of paper one is required to indicate a choice between alternatives. However there are significant differences between the two. Firstly and perhaps most importantly in an examination there is a correct answer which is objective, i.e. it is a matter of fact not a matter of opinion. A ballot paper on the other hand contains no correct answer, and it is subjective i.e. it is a matter of opinion, not a matter of fact. Another important difference is that examination questions tend to contain an option which says “none of the above”. There are several times that none of the above is the correct answer, but a ballot paper does not present that option. Voters are forced to choose even though their preference may not be on the ballot paper. Neither ballot papers nor examination questions contain the option “I don’t know”!

Many students and voters find themselves in this situation. They don’t know and the one thing they are sure of is that they don’t know, but they are forced to make a choice or otherwise abstain from answering the question or voting as the case may be. Most students rather than abstain and not answer the question will hazard a guess in the hope of being right. In the same manner most voters who really don’t understand the issues involved will cast their vote in the hope that things will turn out right. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo appealed to Nigerians to consider performance rather than party in deciding to cast their votes in the election. Unfortunately performance is not indicated on the ballot paper. There are interesting times ahead.