… As RSIEC’s Tenure Ends

The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) came into existence through law number two of 2001 passed by the State House of Assembly, then headed by Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as Speaker, now governor of the State.

This followed the provisions of the 1999 Constitution which ceded the powers to legislative over the affairs of the local government councils to the State House of Assembly with the respective State Lawmakers equally empowered to under take over sight functions of the council areas.

Arising from the above, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), resisted the move because they preferred to be supervised from the centre. Their reason hinged on the fact that local government administration is a full fledge tier of government that should derive its legitimacy from the constitution.

The argument including three years tenure of council Chairmen was contested in the court of law, but the court held that the constitution granted the State Assemblies such powers and until there was an amendment to that effect. ALGON therefore swallowed its pride and resigned to fate.

Here in Rivers State, the then State Governor Dr. Peter Odili, constituted the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and appointed Dr. Sam-Sam Jaja, as charged with the responsibility to conduct local government council elections. The performance of that state electoral umpire would be left for history to Judge.

At the inception of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s administration, he was confronted with credibility test having dissolved the RSIEC Board put place by Sir Celestine Omehia. Obviously, the search for a suitable material to preside over the affairs of RSIEC brought Prof. Nimi Dimkpa Briggs, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt to pilot the commission.

The Prof. Briggs led RSIEC was therefore saddle with the responsibility of conducting the 2008 local government council elections which eventually took place in March of the same year. As fate would have it, the Chairman had hardly settled down to work before he became guest at the kidnappers den and a ransome of N100 million placed on his head.

Incidentally Governor Amaechi who had then inaugurated a law against payment of ransome for kidnap as a way of stifling the booming of the illegal trade in the state, may have been shocked to the marrow before security operatives secured the release of the erudite scholar of medicine.

The process leading to the conduct of that election was characterized by a number of challenges including court cases and security issues as was disclosed by Prof. Briggs himself during a public presentation of the report on the election at the State House of Assembly Auditorium.

He acknowledged that Governor Amaechi did not interfere with the work of the commission as the decisions to cancel elections in some local government areas and wards were independently taken based on different electoral malpractices that took place therein.

No doubt, the experiences garnered in 2008, must have enriched members of the Commission in the conduct of the 2011 local government elections.

However, the preceding events to the election featured the usual accusations and counter accusations of favouring the ruling party by the opposition political parties while the majority party also allege plans by RSEIC to connive with the opposition to deny it of victory.

The Public Relations Officer of RSIEC Mr. Sam Woka, agreed that the Commission was confronted with some problems such as the amendment to the law which allows political parties up to seven days deadline to hold primaries and most of the parties in the recent Degema local government Council election forwarded the names of the candidates late which made it impossible for the Commission to release the names of all the candidates late which made it impossible for the Commission to release the names of all the candidates in good time.

Apart from the problem posed by the state amended Electoral Law, the Parties need to operate internal democracy to deepen the gains of  the present representative governance.

In explaining the issues generated by the political parties, Mr. Woka cited 2008 election in which the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), took the Commission to court and gave the commission credit in its conduct of elections in the state, emphasising that the political parties have equally  admitted the free, fair and credible elections.

One nagging problem which came to the fore in the conduct of the Degema council elections was the alleged non release of grants to political parties by RSIEC which the state government has already approved. The State Chairman of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Deacon Princewill Enyi, said that the Commission denied the opposition parties of the funds to give the ruling PDP edge over them.

The dust raised by the allegation was swiftly and subtly cleared by the Chairman of RSIEC and collaborated by Mr. Woka, that the money was for those political parties sponsored candidates and not a largesse for non existent parties in the state.

According to the Commission, “we felt that giving grant to the parties would assist some of them to establish structures that can help them compete favourably at the polls. Similarly, the commission and the political parties in a parley before the elections agreed that the support would be for parties that sponsor candidates after the polls.

The independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has already stopped giving grants to political parties and RSIEC said it may adopt that too in future because party members fund their parties.

Certainly, as the tenure of Prof. Briggs led Commission ends November 22, 2011, opinion would be divided on the performance of the impartial body on how their crucial assignment was discharged in the state.

The progressives are likely to give the commission a  pass mark in their assessment and may probably recommend a second tenure for them.

Those on the extreme view may score them low since they have taken their own national cake or sorry state cake in the process and opt for outright replacement with new vibrant members.

On the other hand, the passive ones are likely to prefer an average mark for RSIEC and would probably leave the decision to the appropriate authority to decide.

Ironically for that school of thought, they believe that since the governor is in-charge of the state their opinion does not count.

Whatever position or side of the divide you may choose to belong, the truth remains that RSRIC as presently constituted is made up of persons of proven integrity that have justified their appointment and status in public service.

Paradoxically, the conduct of elections either by INEC or RSIEC as in every human activity is not full proof, mistakes abound particularly when the commission would depend largely on adhoc staff to prosecute the exercise, some of who cannot be traced for offence they commit after elections.

Security situation has continued to give dazzing below on the government and its agencies in recent times, leading to kidnap of electoral personnel, snatching of ballot papers and boxes as well as other forms of electoral malpractices have come worrisome scenario that bedevil our political system while adequate incentives are not provided for staff to encourage them to resist persuasion from politicians to manipulate the process.