Edo 2020: Another acid test for INEC?

Amidst violence that has trailed electioneering campaign in Edo State, SENIOR DEPUTY EDITOR, TAIWO AMODU, looks at the preparedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) towards ensuring a credible, hitch-free off-cycle governorship election in the Heartbeat of the Nation.

TO the average citizen of Edo State, September 19 is a date that triggers trepidation in their minds.  They have every reason to be apprehensive as the South-South state has not in recent times, lived up to its sobriquet, the ‘Heartbeat of the Nation’. Chieftains of the two major political parties in the country, the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, have almost turned their home state into a theatre of war. The campaigns for votes, largely dogged by violence, have been lacking in issues. The state parliament has been under lock as the lawmakers have been polarised into factions: one loyal to the incumbent governor and PDP governorship candidate, Godwin Obaseki, and the other faction tagged the anti-Obaseki lawmakers, believed to be goaded by the immediate past national chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. Amidst the violence, the incendiary remarks trailing campaigns  and other infractions of its rules,  the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has since threatened to abort the election as it noted with grave concern the threats the belligerence of the chieftains of the two major parties poses to lives and properties in the state.

The INEC in a statement issued on August 6, entitled, “Escalating Violence and Incendiary Statements on Edo, Ondo Governorship Elections,” expressed regret that its appeal to the political parties to refrain from making incendiary remarks, violence, and other acts capable of undermining peaceful conduct of elections in the two states has fallen on deaf ears. The statement specifically recalled the unsavoury development, especially the destruction of opponents’ campaign materials such as billboards, violent campaigns, and use of offensive language. The commission further warned leadership of political parties to keep in mind that “there are extant laws and regulations that they must adhere to during campaigns,” while requesting security agencies to be prepared to rein in individuals unleashing violence in the affected states and their masterminds.

However, beside its vow to deal with erring parties, how prepared is the commission for the forthcoming election, the major electoral procedure it would be conducting while the nation contends with an unnerving affliction, coronavirus? What are the challenges before it? Is INEC really prepared to walk its talk to sanction political parties that observed its rules in the breach?

Election amidst a pandemic

The INEC last May unveiled a “Policy on Conducting Elections in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic”. According to Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, the general purpose of the policy was to enable officials and staff of the commission to understand and respond adequately to the challenges of conducting elections in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and to provide a guide for engagement with stakeholders as they prepare for elections.

The policy covers health and legal issues, election planning and operations, election day and post-election activities, voter registration, political parties, election observation, electoral security and deployment of technology.

The commission has assured the nation that it would adhere strictly to physical distancing guidelines at polling booths in deference to the by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Okoye while unveiling the policy maintained that INEC will “put a premium on public safety and mitigation of health risks from COVID-19. Citizens must be assured that they will be safe while participating as voters, candidates and officials.”It has since warned that eligible voters with Permanent Voters Cards but with no face mask would not be allowed near polling booths in Edo and Ondo states.

Real threat of violence

INEC, while appraising its performance in the Kogi and Bayelsa states’ governorship elections held simultaneously last November, blamed the police and other security agencies for the violence that marred the process, before, during and after the elections. The police watched helplessly as armed party thugs snatched ballot boxes at polling booths across the three senatorial districts in Kogi State. Accusing fingers were pointed at jubilant supporters of the APC who pursued a woman leader of the PDP, Mrs Salome Abuh, to her residence and set her on fire. Aside the INEC, a forum of political parties equally accused the police and other security agencies of failing to live up to their statutory responsibility of protection of lives and properties in Kogi and Bayelsa states. Chairman of the Action Alliance, Mr Kenneth Udeze, who read a communique issued at the end of the meeting of the forum held on November 24, 2019, said the performance of the police fell short of expectations, particularly in Kogi where the forum noted that no arrest was made by the police and other security agencies deployed for the election.

Udeze said despite the deployment of thousands of security personnel for the elections, thugs had a field day particularly in Kogi State where their activities played a major role in determining who eventually won the election.

He said: “The failure of the elections was not caused by administrative lapses or inefficiency of the INEC, but by the treasonable actions of security agencies (Nigerian Army and Nigeria Police) who compromised the process and aided political thugs to disrupt the entire process and cart away electoral materials.

“The collation centres were made inaccessible to duly accredited observers and agents of other political parties except those that were allowed by the thugs, while over 35,000 policemen watched helplessly and haplessly.”

IGP assurance: Empty platitudes?

To allay the fears of Nigerians, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has vowed to deal decisively with masterminds of violence in Edo state.

As part of preparations toward the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in Edo and, Ondo states, as well as efforts by the police high command to curb the proliferation of prohibited firearms in the country, the IGP  has ordered Commissioners of Police in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to immediately initiate appropriate actions to identify, isolate, disarm, arrest and prosecute any individual(s) or group(s).

Adamu, who spoke during the week through Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, said: “The directive has become necessary against the backdrop of the deliberate arming and movement of political thugs and other criminal elements across the country. In addition, the directive is targeted at addressing the proliferation and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms in the country which is contrary to the provisions of Chapter F.28 LFN 2004 of the Firearms Act.”

Nigerians who were living witnesses to the orgy of violence unleashed on innocent citizens in Bayelsa and Kogi states last November were not impressed by the IGP’s vow to get to the root of violence in Edo State.

The United States of America has equally expressed concern over what it viewed as unnerving feelers from Edo State.

The US Mission in Nigeria in its recent statement urged stakeholders in Edo and Ondo states to exercise restraint, as it noted that the political climate, particularly from the former state was disappointing.

“As long-time friends of Nigeria, we continue to follow political developments ahead of off-cycle elections in the country.

“As we approach the 2020 off-cycle elections in Edo and Ondo, we urge all stakeholders to work towards a free, fair, transparent and peaceful process. We encourage all stakeholders, including INEC, political parties and the security services, to continue to improve the electoral process.”

The United States further said it was concerned about reports of the deteriorating political climate in Edo State and was disappointed with the role played by some political actors in the state.

“We look to Nigeria as an important leader on the African continent.

“As a democratic partner of Nigeria, the United States remains committed to working together to achieve our mutual goals of peace and prosperity for the citizens of both our countries.”

INEC sledge hammer: Will it instigate violence? 

Sunday Tribune checks revealed that the electoral umpire threat to abort announcement of results midway in the face of potential threats to lives of its staff and by extension, the electorate was already being misconstrued by the main opposition party, the PDP.

The main opposition party’s national secretariat has argued that the electoral umpire’s claim that it could void  results of election in local government areas or senatorial district where violence were perpetrated, or fail to announce results amidst threat of violence, was a potential instrument of ambush to kill the joy of a party coasting home to victory.

Speaking with Sunday Tribune, INEC Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Okoye, however insisted that the commission was statutorily empowered to take the action without consultations with any of the political parties.

He said:” The commission will not share with or consult any political party before exercising its regulatory powers. The primary determination of what constitutes serious breach of the peace or whether same is likely to occur resides with the commission and this can only be made based on cogent and verifiable reasons.

“Political parties must commit to free and fair elections as the commission is documenting serial infractions to the law and the Constitution and will not hesitate to impose sanctions or abdicate its responsibility of enthroning clean elections in the polity. We still insist that the National Assembly should pass the Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal Bill that will enable the creation of an independent commission that can handle arrest, investigation and prosecution of electoral offences. We must break the cycle of impunity to restore sanity in the electoral process.”

Unwieldy number of political parties?

Sunday Tribune investigation revealed that 15 political parties will be participating in the forthcoming Edo State governorship election which has incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidates of PDP and APC, as main rivals. Aside the threat of violence, one other stumbling block to free and fair, credible election is the financial inducement of voters and electoral officials and security agencies by desperate politicians and their foot soldiers. Apparently frustrated by the craftiness of politicians who continued to perfect the art of vote buying, national chairman of the INEC, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, has said the electoral umpire could only deploy moral suasion, submitting that only security agencies, particularly the police were adequately equipped to contain the menace.

Okoye in a recent interview with Sunday Tribune equally advanced a sophistry that “in vote buying, there is a willing seller and a willing buyer.”

He, however, revealed that the commission has come up with a new idea to guarantee secrecy in the process of balloting by eligible voters.

“More fundamentally, it is against the law to induce or influence voters to vote or refrain from voting. We have recalibrated the polling units to provide for additional secrecy for the voters. It is still illegal to go into the polling cubicle with a mobile phone. We shall continue to work with the security agencies to arrest any individual that desecrates the sanctity of the polling units.”

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