Politics
Checking Electoral Fraud Through Organised Actions
The truth is that we cannot have genuine democracy without electoral integrity and there can be no good governance, transparency and equity without genuine democracy. When people get into office fraudulently through riggings and all kinds of subversion of the will of the people they obviously cannot be expected to truly serve the people. They cannot reasonable be expected to address the wide spread poverty, unemployment and corruption in our country, Nigeria. Such persons can only be accountably to those who rigged them into power. The need for electoral integrity in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized.
All Nigerians without exception should be part of the struggle for effective electoral reforms in Nigeria including the deepening of internal democracy in the political parties and credible election, as it is central to the capacity of the country to jumpstart the economy and give hope to all of us not just to a few of us.
Electoral fraud and corruption in Nigeria is a seemingly formidable industry. It is an industry whose services to the nation include mass falsification of voting registers, mysterious stuffing of ballot boxes, use of some misguided youths as “hired political thugs” by wealthy candidates, to threaten, harass and intimidate voters as well as flagrant use of INEC and security officers to impose the will of a few godfathers on the rest of us.
Electoral fraud therefore is aimed at subverting the will of the people by denying them their voice in deciding who governs them. It is worse than military coup because it is not only imposes the will of the political godfathers on the rest of Nigeria but also is laden with deceit.
We must resist any attempt by anybody including INEC, self serving politicians, misguided youths and the security agencies to howsoever manipulate or rig the electons as well as discourage the popular believe that political office here in Nigeria is more of an access to massive oil wealth; a gateway to power and patronage, than service to the people. We must mobilize the market women, churches and mosques, communities, age grades, traders, civil servants, company workers, and indeed all Nigerians without exception to join the campaign and fight to ensure that our votes count.
We must ensure that the Justice Uwais-led Electoral Reform Panel Report is passed into law, we must ensure that only persons of integrity and demonstrable patriotic stand hold offices in INEC, we must enlighten and educate all Nigerians to join this project of ensuring that our voters counts, we must vote and protect our votes. We must also ensure that INEC do their job and that they do not deliberately refuse to do their job.
Each of us must rise up to the challenge and support the campaign for electoral reform. We must moblise all our friends, kinsmen, church members, colleagues, associates, neighbours, age grades and communities to resist the temptation to be used by anybody to rig howsoever the 2011 elections. I can proudly say that no person can successfully rig any election in Nieria and in Rivers State without the tacit and/or explicit support of Nigerians. We support them if we do nothing about the evil of electoral fraud which is the father of all evil. We support them when we do not challenge what they are doing or when we lie down resigned to fate.
As aptly captured in Ola Rotimi’s ‘The God are not to Blame’, to lie down resigned to fate is madness and Nigerians must stop this madness of aparthy, fear and refusal to fight for the good and progress of Nigeria. The truth is that evel, including electoral fraud, which is the father of all evil, benefits those who perpetrate it and therefore cannot be wished away in this world. It multiplies when people like us simply do nothing, and that is why as far as I am concerned, doing nothing in the presence or midst of evil is greater evil. This is because it simply feeds evil and encourages it to ‘prosper’.
If we must have a better society then we must resist evil, especially electoral fraud by deliberate and organised actions. We should therefore be more actively involved in the Nigerian project. I do not want to pretend that it is a tea party, but the truth is that it is the key to the good future we all expect and dream of and we cannot afford to fail.
Making our votes count is therefore the single most important reform that we urgently need in Nigeria, if we must make progress as a people and regain our place in the comity of nations. Without electoral reforms including deepening of internal democracy in the political parties and credible elections, we have No future in Nigeria!
Onuegbu is the chairman, Rivers State Council of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC).
Hyginus Onuegbu
Claiming that elections in the country are typically characterized by vote buying, Mr Nwosu said a repeat of such phenomenon would taint the credibility of the forthcoming gubernatorial poll.
Mr Nwosu is among the 16 governorship candidates listed by INEC in a June 4, 2025 statement to participate in the November 8, 2025 election in Anambra State.
His party, the ADC, will battle it out with other parties to unseat incumbent Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Mr Nwosu, in a statement on Saturday, said it was baffling seeing voters openly selling their votes to party agents and other representatives around polling units on election day.
According to him, “such practices not only derail the true will of the people but also reduce elections to an auction, where the state is effectively handed over to the highest bidder.”
Mr Nwosu urged INEC to introduce secure voting cubicles that would safeguard the legitimate rights of voters and uphold the sovereignty of democracy.
“INEC must provide secure voting cubicles to ensure ballots remain private and secret. Currently, many polling areas are too exposed, allowing others to see the voting process. This not only encourages vote buying but also undermines the integrity of the elections.
“Voting must remain secret. Nigeria already has strong electoral laws which, if properly enforced, can deliver outcomes that truly benefit society”, Mr Nwosu said.
He held that the Anambra governorship election was another opportunity for INEC to secure the trust of Nigerians about its commitment to transparency and fairness during polls.
He also noted the role of security agencies in tackling the menace of vote buying on the day of election.
He said, “The success of any political activity depends largely on security, because security is key. While it is not solely INEC’s duty to ensure elections are properly conducted, the Commission must create an enabling environment that allows citizens to participate freely, conduct themselves properly, and exercise their right to vote.”
The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, called on the relevant security agencies to investigate the attackers and their sponsors.
“The Labour Party is perplexed by the physical attack on our National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure, by agents suspected to be working for anti-democratic elements who have tried unsuccessfully to wrestle the leadership of the party from him.
“Few hours ago, a prominent member of a known political family, Ms Precious Oruche, alias ‘Mama P’, accosted Barrister Abure while on a queue at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja, boarding a Max Air flight en route to Benin, and attacked the Labour Party’s National Chairman unprovoked.
“The attacker, Madam P, who is also a known content creator, continued the attack all through the duration of the flight, defying all attempts by the Max Air flight attendants to calm her.
“The assault, which attracted a large population of onlookers, continued unabated on disembarkment at the Benin Airport while she continued recording the scene.
“It took the intervention of the security agents on hand to whisk Abure to safety while the attacker was handed over to the police for questioning.
“In one of her films released, the lady, who is a prominent member of the ‘Obidient’ and claimed that she has contacts with the highest police hierarchy, boasted that nothing will happen to her.
“She vowed that she will not stop attacking Abure or any member of the Labour Party executive because, according to her, ‘you have killed Labour Party and you are the reason why Obi is no longer in the Labour Party.’
“The leadership of the Labour Party is completely troubled with this cyber-bullying and the consequences of the action of this political agent on the party. We are by this statement calling on the Inspector General of Police to thoroughly investigate this suicidal aggression against the leadership of the Labour Party and Barrister Julius Abure in particular.
“We sincerely believe that the lady-agent was on an assignment to accomplish the desires of her paymasters. Assault and cyber-bullying are severe crimes under our laws and we think that the Police must fish out her sponsors and cohorts, and bring them to book.
“We are calling on the members of the Labour Party to be calm, even in the face of this unwarranted provocation and wait for the outcome of the investigation on the unprovoked attack against the leadership of the party,” the statement read.
Speaking during the party’s congress in Yola, the state capital, on Saturday, Mr David Lorhenba, the chairman, Adamawa Congress Committee, described the exercise as hitch-free.
He said that a total of 2,656 delegates from 21 local government areas came out and elected 39 officials.
Mr Lorhenba commended the delegates for conducting themselves in an orderly manner.
“The conduct of the congress is very successful, all the delegates come from 21 Local Government Areas and cast their votes peacefully.
“We have a total of 2,656 delegates and we have announced the winners very successfully”, he said.
In his remarks, Alhaji Attahiru Shehu, the outgoing chairman, congratulated the new executives and charged them to continue on what they have already done for the party to remain strong.
According to him, they started as opposition in the state and produced Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri who is serving his second term, opining they “he has done well for the state.”
In his acceptance speech, Mr Madagali thanked the delegates for the confidence they reposed in him.
He promised to run an open door policy in manning the affairs of the party.
“Let us continue the legacy of good governance and prepare ahead for 2027 with focus, discipline and unity.
“To those outside our party, especially the youths and women of Adamawa, we invite you into our party.
“PDP is your home. Our doors are open to all who wish to contribute positively to the development of our state.
“Our party will continue to be a shining example of people-focused on leadership,” he said.
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