In the throes of another election postponement

By Friday, February 15, all appeared set for the Nigerian election, which first leg was to take place on February 16. The capital city, Abuja, was calm and scanty and reports from across the states never indicated danger, except for the disturbing news from Kaduna, as reeled out by the governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai.

The election had assumed a key factor in the annals of Nigerian democracy. Local and international observers have set up situation rooms, while the International Conference Centre (ICC) had been demarcated as INEC’s National Collation Centre and cordoned off (except for official business) by security operatives.

Botched elections: How external, internal forces forced INEC to postpone polls

Though, rhetoric during the campaigns had fuelled tension on all sides, the eve of the election was unusually calm. Not many knew the calmness of Friday February 15 was eerie and ominous. The full meaning of that day crept in by early evening. From about 6pm of the day, things changed very fast. Tense moments had enveloped the headquarters of INEC as the Chief Electoral Officer had been soaked in his own sweat. Reports from the states, as far as the state of logistics had shot Yakubu’s blood temperature to the hilt such that the air conditioners in his office offered no comfort anymore.

As he called to receive situation reports from each of the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in the36 states, the scary reports won’t just stop coming. It was obvious Yakubu needed help. He needed the support of his immediate lieutenants, the national commissioners and he immediately summoned a meeting for 7pm. By the time the meeting got underway, it had become obvious that the handling of election logistics was concerned, had ran into troubled waters in more than 10 states and that the election could only go ahead if INEC would swallow the ignominy, if not illegality, of conducting staggered presidential and National Assembly elections.

Two days before, the Chief Electoral Officer and chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmud Yakubu, was asked if anything could warrant the postponement of the election and he said clearly, he saw nothing. Things also appeared to be going well at the headquarters of the commission. Days ahead of Friday, most media houses had been accredited. Many have deployed staff to locations. So, Friday was a mop-up day at the level of INEC, but tension blew over suddenly, like a gush of wind.

While the meeting called by Professor Yakubu got underway, the nation came on the edge. The media got wind of the danger hovering in the horizon, but no one could say with certainty the outcome of the meeting by the Election Management Board. Clearly, everything came on tenterhooks as no clear words came from INEC. Would the election go on haphazardly or it would be postponed? That was the question on the lips of many as the evening went far into the midnight.

The nation went to sleep with two eyes open. While those who could afford naps took some time out, others simply stayed alert, pacing from one end of the office to the other, awaiting the all-important pre-election verdict. And at 02:50 hours on Saturday, Yakubu went on air to announce the postponement of the election.

He said: “Following a careful review of the implementation of its logistics and operational plan and determination to conduct free, fair and credible elections, the commission came to the conclusion that proceeding with the elections as scheduled is no longer feasible.” He thereafter announced February 23 and March 9 as new dates for the elections, while fixing a stakeholders meeting for 2pm on Saturday.

As expected, the announcement threw the country into a frenzy. State actors, politicians and observers had different views of the emerging reality. Some believed that the development was a sign of “perpetual failures” of INEC, a commission that had unwittingly repeated the unwanted act at every election since 2011; some saw sabotage from within and outside INEC. The main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saw the hands of Esau and the voice of Jacob in one breathe and in another it lambasted INEC for the below par performance. At the front of the observers, calm was the word. They felt for Nigerians who had agreed to shut down all economic and social activities on Saturday so as to partake in the key election.

The postponement, indeed, saw politicians lamenting in different tones. While President Muhammadu Buhari, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), lamented the postponement and called for calm, the main challenger, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, asked Nigerians to be patient by ensuring they cast their votes on the appointed date. Presidential candidate of the Peoples Trust (PT), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, described the development as a sad omen for democratic development, adding that INEC must however go into extensive discussions with stakeholders before picking another date. Presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Professor Kingsley Moghalu, described the development as the recycling of inefficiencies of the past.

In 2011, Professor Attahiru Jega, then INEC chairman, actually announced the cancellation of the election when polls had started in many locations. INEC then cited the late arrival of voting materials, especially result sheets as the key reason for its action.

In 2015, security chiefs had called for the postponement of the elections based on widespread insecurity in the North-East and the need to clear the zone of Boko Haram insurgents and pave the way for conducive atmosphere for the elections. Though INEC resisted the advice for some time, it eventually caved in after seeing reason for the postponement. In making that announcement, Jega said that the commission could not guarantee protection for its personnel and materials in parts of the country if it went ahead with the election.

Somehow, history repeated itself in another cruel manner as Mahmud Yakubu has been made to toe the path charted by his predecessor. It was a sad commentary on the nation’s democratic growth but the reasons for the postponement, this time, appeared germane and instructive.

First, INEC’s offices had come under attacks in Abia, Plateau and Anambra states. Thousands of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and the Card Readers were burnt. The commission had mopped up redundant card readers burnt to the “skin”, while it became obvious there are no back-ups for the machines all over the country. It was shocking that after the deployment of such sensitive materials to states, the police and security agencies just left those locations and made the environment vulnerable to arsonists who suddenly found the disruption of the election a pastime.

Besides, the distribution of other sensitive items through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Air Force were also hampered. Some insiders had stated that the grand aim of the arsonists was to force INEC to conduct staggered elections across the country and possibly create advantage to a section of the political actors. Thus, if INEC must be blamed for tardiness, it must certainly not take the canes alone. The security agencies and the apex bank should also take their portions.

The above was also the direction of discussions when some university dons and civil Society activists held an emergency session at one of the situation rooms set up by the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) for the 2019 elections. The participants, including Professor Anthony Olusanya, Osun State University; Dr Remi Ayede, University of Ibadan; Professor Chibuzor Nwoke, Vice Chancellor, Oduduwa University, Ile-Ife; Mr Okechuckwu Nwanguma; Centre for Police Reforms and another member of CTA, Mahmood Abdul, among others, all reinforced the need to rally round INEC in the face of unwarranted attacks by criminal elements, whom they said might have plotted to truncate the elections one way or the other.

Acting Executive Director of CTA, Faith Nwadishi, who read the team’s position on Sunday, said INEC must look inwards to nip such crisis in the bud. She said internal and external forces combined to force the postponement of the election, adding that the security agencies must also answer questions as to why they could not stop the spate of arson on INEC’s facilities in four states.

The position of CTA further read: “CTA recognises that this is not the best of times for INEC, the civil society and citizens who have invested time and resources to make this election happen. In our opinion, this postponement is in the best interest of the country rather than having staggered elections, which would not have guaranteed a free, fair and credible election. We note the challenges that INEC has to surmount such as; the recent burning of INEC offices and materials in some parts of the country and reports of disappearance of sensitive materials, deployment of ad hoc staff and other such challenges that would have marred the credibility and outcome of the 2019 general election.

“There were speculations in the social media days and hours before the actual postponement of the elections by INEC. The shift in election dates, just about five hours to the opening of polls, is not good enough. The implications on the economy and citizens’ resources and times are negative. INEC therefore should be more circumspect and pro-active in managing her logistics challenges.”

In accordance with the admonition by the centre, INEC should to stick to the new election time table while putting her house in order and “Nigerians should give INEC the benefit of doubts as we continue to trust that the shift was done in good faith and ultimately, for a free, fair, credible elections.”