MAKING MOCKERY OF ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA – THE OGUTA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY RE-RUN ELECTION EXPERIENCE
About two years two months and a week after the general elections in our beloved country, Nigeria, the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) is still struggling to conduct election into one of the State Constituencies in the country: Oguta Constituency. Oguta State Constituency is in Imo State. Since 2011, the people of Oguta State Constituency have no representative in the Imo State of House of Assembly. This has been referred to as ‘a rape of democracy
The first election House of Assembly election for the Constituency was on 26th April 2011. It was grossly marred with irregularities and violence leading to its cancellation. The election was re-scheduled for 6th May 2011. It was re-conducted on that date. Once more, it was stalmated and was, therefore, declared inconclusive. This declaration led to contentious election litigations that ended recently. With the litigstions over, a second re-run election was fixed for 29th June 2013, Saturday. This second re-election was held amidst tight security. Surprisingly, the re-run election has, again, been declared inconclusive by INEC for the same reasons of electoral irregularities and violence that marred the previous elections in the constituency. One wonders what is really happening!
Before the 29th June 2013 second re-run election for the said Constituency, there were early warning signals that the re-run election might be violent and marred with irregularities. There was clear tension in the Constituency. The main political parties in contention for the seat – All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the ruling party in Imo State and People’s Democratic Party (POP), the ruling party at the centre – were dagger drawn to win the re-run election. So, during the re-run election, and as usual, there was tight security in that Constituency. Adequate security has always been provided for elections in that Constituency, to the best of my knowledge. So, I won’t blame the security agents for the failure of the 29th June 2013 re-run election. I contend that there were corrupt practices meant that INEC was not diligent enough. As far as many are concerned, there must be something internally wrong with INEC in Imo State.
It is important to state that INEC, in preparing for the recent re-run election, had assured the public of its readiness to get it right this time. In all frankness, it had no reason to fail. It is, therefore, embarrassing that the said re-run election was marred by irregularities and ended inconclusive. By this situation, it means that there will be the third re-run election, on a date yet to be announced by INEC, for the Oguta State Constituency. For it is both the democratic and the legal right of the people of Oguta State Constituency to elect their representative for the Imo State House of Assembly. It is a pity, and regretable, that the people of Oguta Constituency would be subjected to rain and sun on four occassions in their quest to elect a State House of Assembly representative. This is unimaginable. The four times is history making, but for the wrong reasons.
It is irritating that after all assurances by INEC and the huge sums of money spent, Oguta State Constituency is yet to have a representative in the Imo State House of Assembly. INEC has, indeed, demonstrated that it is still incapable of conducting free and fair elections in Nigeria, despite all the high scores it continues to bestow on itself.. This is an institution that is finding it difficult to activate the clear provisions of the Electoral Act, 2010 to give the country a credible voters’ register. The Electoral Act provides for continous registration of voters, but this is not being done. The big question is, why?
Back to the said Oguta State Constituency re-run election. Presently, both APGA and PDP are claiming victory. There were media reports that fake election results were submitted to INEC. This is worrisome. One is constrained to ask: How come, if it is true? Interestingly, the allegation has come at a time Prof. Attahiru Jega, INEC Chairman, has assured Nigerians, indeed the World, that the rotten eggs in INEC have been removed. I state here that the requisite cleansing or purging of INEC must be far reaching for excellent result and is yet to effected.
One continues to wonder whether there is synergy between INEC and the security institutions during elections? If there is, our elections ought not to be marred by irregularities and violence. It follows that in situations of security failure or breach, INEC should clearly inform the citizens; how and why of the situation. As citizens, are we not entitled to know what really happened? It is important that INEC gives the country a post-mortem as to why security for the elections in Oguta State Constituency has consistently failed.
On funding, we presume that a lot of resources have gone into the conduct of the said elections for Oguta State Constituency. So, INEC should tell Nigerians how much it has spent for the elections, and how much is now needed for the third re-run election or concluding election? We want to know. It is necessary to re-assure us, the citizens, that the problem was not poor funding. Yes, poort funding! It could be by the Federal Government. Or by the INEC headquarters. Poor or inadequate fund has the capacity to badly affect logistics and operations of the Imo State INEC Secretariat thereby resulting in failed elections.
In view of the failure to conduct a free and fair election in that Constituency, which has occasioned waste of tax payers money, I hereby call upon INEC to apologize to Nigerians. The case of Oguta State Constituency is unheard of in the electoral history of Nigeria. The situation is a clear case of waste of tax payers money and denial of representation to the people of Oguta State Constituency. The Imo State INEC officials should be investigated and the hierarchy removed for clear incompetence. I remember that some months ago, there was an allegation of financial misconduct against the hierarchy of the Commission in the State. There were whistle blowings in the social media. I was one of the whistle blowers. As of today, one cannot say, if there was any investigation of that serious allegation by INEC headquarters. If there was, the findings are not made public. It is no gainsaying that there is need for greater transparency and accountability on the part of INEC.
In conclusion, it is obvious that INEC must cleanse its stable now. Otherwise, 2015 will be another charade. The Oguta State House of Assembly re-run election should be concluded soonest, as a matter of urgency, if there was trully no winner under the Electoral Act on 29th June 2013.
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