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Anambra governorship election and lessons for future elections

THREE weeks to the just concluded Anambra State governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state predicted that the exercise, which was already generating so much tension owing to threats of disruption, would be “embarrassingly transparent”. It turned out prophetic because the exercise, comparatively, was free, fair and peaceful, even though with embarrassingly low turn-out.

Some weeks to the election, there was serious tension following a boycott order by the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other such non-state actors who vowed to disrupt the exercise. The Federal Government put its foot down and directed security agencies to ensure that the election held without fail. IPOB later recanted and the umbrella socio-cultural organisation of the Igbo, Ohaneze, which hitherto was complacent about the violent situation in the zone, later claimed its intervention helped in ensuring the non-interruption of the exercise.

However it is looked at, the atmosphere for the peaceful conduct of the November 6, 2021 election was more than anything else because of the heavy deployment of security forces in the state; a situation which combined with the several violent threats to keep voters in-doors, resulting in the very low voter turn-out recorded during the exercise. The state has characteristically reported low turn-outs during elections, nonetheless.

Although the election held without any major fallouts and the result was acceptable with very inconsequential challenge, the spectre of military deployment during elections in the country is grave. It is gradually eroding the democratic essence of the exercise and is beginning to tell seriously on our democratic journey and institutions. The trend by which elections can only be held with heavy deployment of security forces is unbecoming and must not continue.

We appreciate the fact that sometimes such deployments become inevitable following activities of desperate politicians and sponsored non-state actors, but it is also our considered view that the tendencies that throw up these developments can be tackled and removed from the system through strategic interventions capable of engendering environments conducive at all times for the smooth conduct and transition of democratic processes and procedures.

A major point that emerged from the Anambra governorship election is the capacity of the electoral body, INEC, to deliver with very minimal negative fallouts, if the environment is right. Apart from the technical glitches experienced in some areas, the entire exercise was conducted and concluded with very little negative involvement of officials of the electoral body. The regular menace of result mutilation, ballot stuffing and snatching were not pronounced, if recorded at all.

While we advise against making deployment of excessive security presence a standard fare for holding peaceful elections in the country, we also advise the electoral body to build up from the experience of the Anambra governorship election and tidy up its acts for the next governorship elections coming up in  Ekiti and Osun States on June 18, 2022 and July 16, 2022 respectively, in preparation for the general elections scheduled for February and March 2023.

The National Assembly has passed the Electoral Amendment Bill which has been forwarded to the President for assent. When signed, the bill will provide a largely structured statutory instrument for the electoral body to carry out its assignments. It would provide a clear roadmap and help it consolidate on the measures adopted to deliver the largely acceptable Anambra governorship exercise.

Apart from the contentious electronic transmission of results which the legislators have eventually endorsed, another contentious provision – direct primaries by political parties — which has pitched the state governors against federal legislators, is also in the bill. This is a provision which is likely to task the electoral body the more. Among other provisions are capping the cost of nomination and campaign expenses, penalty for vote buying and the use of biometrics. These are all provisions that are likely to improve the integrity of the electoral process as it would, among others, clearly define and streamline the activities of the electoral body.

Given all the provisions and the experiences so far, the electoral body might not have genuine excuses for not delivering on its mandate during the 2023 general elections. At least, it can still use the Osun and Ekiti elections to continue with test runs to consolidate on the gains of the Anambra governorship election. The people of Osun and Ekiti States must provide an environment conducive for the conduct of the forthcoming exercise and avoid everything that would replay the garrison spectacle that signposted the exercise in Anambra State. Elections must not be do-or-die affair in Nigeria.

The electoral body has submitted estimates of what it would require to deliver a successful and credible 2023 elections. The relevant bodies have enough time between now and the beginning of the electoral process next year to make enough provision for the request so that the electoral body would not use non-provision of “sufficient funds” to justify its non-performance, if it fails to deliver.

Governments at all levels must start now to address all the issues that might become constraints to free and peaceful elections across the country and nip in the bud those tendencies that would present threats and warrant deployment of massive security apparatuses to force elections. It is instructive to point out here that it was possible to do that in Anambra State and might be possible in Osun and Ekiti States because they are isolated cases. It is not likely going to work in a general election because of the spread. So, everything must be done before hand to avoid contemplating that route.  

The citizens, who have been complaining of bad leadership and bad representation, have a civic responsibility to be deeply involved in the entire electoral process. They must also ensure that all the statutory provisions are adhered to and the various stakeholders are held to account, to deliver peaceful, free, fair and credible elections going forward. Voters should not allow politicians to “use” them as they always do. They must shun voter apathy and come out in large numbers to vote and ensure that their votes count, too. All hands must be on deck if we are to see a new Nigeria delivered through a credible democratic process.

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