Politics

INEC And The Burden Of Credible Elections

Published

11 years ago

January 26, 2015

Waking up with a big
burden could be quite uncomfortable. The burden, as it were, was not personal but concerns the task ahead of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in next month’s general elections in Nigeria.
Reflecting on the burden of INEC, there are more questions begging for answers. Have the electoral body learnt any lesson from her previous outings? Can INEC make the 2015 elections the best in its performance? Will the Attahiru Jega-led INEC conduct election that will herald the formation of a parallel government? Or will the 2015 polls mark the end of Nigeria’s corporate unity? Even more, is it not possible that INEC can disappoint all prophets of doom and failure concerning its conduct of the February polls? What do Nigeria and Nigerians stand to gain if INEC fails in this national assignment?
Emerging from those questions, is the realisation of how great the burden before the electoral body is to conduct a free, fair, non-violent and credible elections. To accomplish this task, INEC says it has planned and believed it will work. One of the INEC’s plans is the distribution of the permanent voter cards (PVCs) to eligible electorate. Less than four weeks to the February polls, reports say about 25 per cent of Nigerians are yet to collect their PVCs.
According to a coalition of 100 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) under the aegis of Love Your Country Initiative, the complaints over inadequate distribution of permanent voter cards will make the forthcoming elections less credible.
In a statement by its Chairman and Life Patron, Eze Maxwell Kanu and Vice Chairman, Mr Funmi Omosule, the 100 NGOs said about two states in the North and many people across the country have not collected their PVCs less than a month to the election, wondering what magic INEC would perform.
The concern of the 100 NGOs is that “if INEC could only distribute 75 per cent of the PVCs in more than one year, certainly INEC will not be able to distribute the remaining 25 per cent in just three weeks”. The fear is genuine, though it is not enough to justify the demand by the coalition on INEC to shift the February 14 general election by 30 days. Rather than solve the problem of what it called the “kangaroo election”, the poll shift by 30 days will not only justify the claim by the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) that the Peoples Democratic Party-led federal government plans to shift the electoral date for fear of losing the poll, but also heat up the polity, the consequences of which is unpredictable.
“Section 25 (6) of the Electoral Act 2010 states that any election to the office of the President shall be held on a date not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the term of the office of the last holder of the office”. The section therefore makes it clear and possible for election to be held between 30 and 150 days before the swearing in of the next administration.
From all indications, the provisions of the Electoral Act on the subject matter is unambiqious, but attempt to shift the scheduled election dates will certainly cast doubt in the ability of INEC to conduct free, fair and credible polls. To avoid the fear of the unknown, INEC should work round the clock in ensuring that all eligible voters that are registered get their PVCs before the D-Day.
Equally worrisome is the reports of names of registered voters allegedly omitted from the accreditation list. A situation where registered voters can not find their names on the accreditation list or wrongly misplaced from one polling unit to another as recorded in previous elections is not healthy enough. Such cases are most likely to disenfranchise legitimate voters from exercising their civic responsibilities.
Although every election has its challenges, on the accreditation list or misplacement of voter names, it is expected that the electoral body would have learnt its lesson from previous conduct of elections and garnered enough experiences to right the wrong of the past. Attahiru Jega and his team at the INEC should not waste time in rectifying the problems of for hitch-free elections.
One crop of individuals who services are indispensible in the conduct of the elections are members of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC). Cases are bound where priority attention were not given to the welfare of the corp members recruited for the elections. To leave the welfare of NYSC members involved in the elections in the hands of the political parties and their candidates make them (corp members) vulnerable to corrupt practices, which if not checked could mar the outcome of the polls.
It becomes necessary therefore that INEC must make adequate arrangement for the welfare of NYSC members and other ad-hoc staff for the election. Also important is the need for the electoral body to streamline properly the remuneration, the process of payment and the office(s) responsible for the welfare of the NYSC members so that they can be held accountable if they do not live up to expectation in the discharge of duties.
Getting the election well invariably starts with adequate welfare of the personnel involved in the polls, and that is why INEC should not only recruit credible hands from the NYSC fold but also be committed in catering for their welfare and security before and after the polls.
INEC cannot forget in a hurry the embarrassment it faced when the printing vendor(s) failed to deliver as at when due. Opinions may be divided that INEC suffered such fate because the process of awarding the printing contracts was not transparent or the electoral body failed to meet its side of the bargain.
Whatever the reason for the inability of the printing vendor(s) not to deliver on time in the past, Nigerians, this time around, would not accept any blame game in event of failure to deliver sensitive materials meant for the elections. Both the commission and the printing vendor(s) should work in synergy to rectify relevant issues on printing of sensitive election materials on time.
Another aspect of logistics that have given bad name to INEC is inadequate ballot papers at the polling units; late arrival of vote materials at some polling units; errors in the printing of some ballot papers where in some cases, some party logos were either omitted or blurred etc. INEC, in a manner that suggest that it is determined to raise its credibility status, should put all logistics in place now.
However, INEC could create, if it has not done so, a special information technology platform through SMS whereby Nigerians could communicate challenge(s) faced in any given polling unit for INEC to address speedily as the need arises. Interestingly, the mobile (social media) has become a critical technology for election monitoring and coordination.
For instances, the creation of Ushahidi-com in Kenya, a social media platform eventually became a crisis reporting platform for the public to contribute information and comments on unfolding crisis in the land. Since the inception of Ushahidi.com in 1982, the platform has become a critical component in monitoring elections and other challenges in Kenya.
In Nigeria, the nation’s network operators therefore have critical role to play in the success of the elections. A lot good will come the way of election stakeholders if they are able to communicate freely during the election period.
The problem of poor funding of INEC remains a source of concern. It is not clear how much funds have been made available to the commission ahead of next month’s general elections, going by previous experience and coupled with the downturn in the economy.
Of course, the problem of bad eggs in INEC has often questioned the integrity of the electoral body to conduct credible polls. In some cases, INEC has demonstrated enough courage to weed out bad elements in its rank.
But “merely transferring crooks within its ranks from one state to another as had been the practice does not solve the problem, rather it lends credence to the argument that INEC colludes with certain persons to influence election results especially in favour of the highest bidders. INEC’s determination to identify all the bad eggs in her system and weed them out will send a good signal that it is no longer business as usual in the work of the commission.
The INEC chairman admitted the myriads of problems including insecurity, poor funding, attitude of the political class and parties, apathetic and inactive citizenry, police complicity in fraudent elections, prosecution of electoral offenders etc facing his commission. “These challenges are not insurmountable and we will spare no efforts to ensure that the aspirations of Nigerians for fee, fair, credible and peaceful elections are actualised in 2015, “Jaga assured.
While many may doubt the sincerity of Jega’s INEC to live up to expectations in the conduct of a credible elections, it stands to reason that the commission’s credibility is about to be put to text once more. Apart from the commission, political parties and their supporters, security agents, the judiciary, the media and of course the electorate have enormous role to play to assist INEC raise its peformance score card in the conduct of free, fair, peaceful and credible elections in Nigeria.

Samuel Eleonu

Prof. Attahiru Jega, INEC Chairman

Politics

Atiku Names Kenneth Okonkwo As Spokesperson

Published

3 days ago

July 3, 2026

The Tide

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential hopeful for 2027, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has named actor and politician, Mr Kenneth Okonkwo, as his spokesperson.

Mr Okonkwo made the announcement on his X (formerly Twitter) account on yesterday, expressing gratitude for what he called Alhaji Abubakar’s show of faith in him.

“I give God all the glory for being appointed by His Excellency Atiku Abubakar as his spokesperson. I thank His Excellency for the immense confidence reposed in me,” Mr Okonkwo said.

The politician credited Alhaji Abubakar with championing dialogue over conflict within party ranks.

He noted that the former vice president favours conversation and compromise when party associates raise genuine worries, rather than dismissing their concerns.

“Rather than take offence at associates for expressing genuine reservations about any action taken, His Excellency always opts for dialogue and compromise that engender solutions to problems,” Mr Okonkwo stated.

According to him, recent talks with Alhaji Abubakar and other ADC leaders tackled worries about South-East political representation within the limits of the Electoral Act, 2026, and the current political climate. He said the discussions produced guarantees for the region’s interests despite existing constraints.

Mr Okonkwo also acknowledged the work of Dr. Kashim Imam; former ADC National Chairman, Ralphs Nwosu; Ekene Onwuka, Alhaji Abubakar’s Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties, in preparing the party for next year’s elections. He thanked his loved ones and supporters for their support and prayers.

“I still covet your prayers for wisdom, courage, provision and protection needed to carry out this challenging responsibility, which will usher in a glorious and great Nigeria,” he added.

The appointment arrives weeks after Mr Okonkwo publicly attacked the ADC’s pick for running mate in 2027. He’d warned that choosing a vice-presidential candidate from the South-South would worsen what he sees as political neglect of the South-East, a region without a president or vice president since 1999.

Despite Mr Okonkwo’s objections, the ADC later announced former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, as Alhaji Abubakar’s running mate following the ex-vice president’s clinching of the party’s presidential nomination.

Politics

Senate Defends Passage Of State Police Bill

Published

7 days ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Senate has defended the passage of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, saying the proposed creation of state police is driven by national consensus and the country’s security needs rather than political considerations.

The Red Chamber passed the bill last Wednesday after more than two-thirds of senators voted in support.

In a statement issued yesterday by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Office of the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele described the bill as “a child of necessity and not of political expediency as well as a product of national consensus and not of cynicism.”

The senate leader said the proposal to establish state police was a matter of urgent public importance that could not be delayed because of political interests, given the country’s security challenges.

He explained that the proposal did not originate recently but emerged from memoranda submitted to the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.

According to him, the proposal underwent extensive consultations and rigorous scrutiny because of its sensitive nature.

Bamidele said the National Assembly consulted widely with the Executive, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, the leadership of the Nigeria Police and other stakeholders before passing the bill.

He added that during the public hearings conducted across the six geopolitical zones in July 2025, participants overwhelmingly supported the creation of state police.

“At each level of our consultation, nearly all stakeholders embraced the State Police Bill in the light of stark realities we are facing today,” he said.

The Senate leader noted that recommendations from the Nigeria Police contributed to the bill, particularly on accountability and oversight mechanisms aimed at preventing abuse of state police by political actors.

According to him, the police’s support for the proposal underscores its national significance in tackling insecurity at the state and local levels.

Bamidele also said the bill received broad bipartisan backing in both chambers of the National Assembly.

“Even though the APC is the majority, there are members of opposition parties — PDP, ADC, NDC and Labour Party — that exercised their discretion in favour of the Bill, mainly in the national interest and not on parochial basis.

“In the Senate, for instance, 84 out of 109 members voted clause by clause in support of the Bill. This accounted for 77.06 per cent approval at the Senate alone,” he said.

He argued that national security should transcend political affiliations, saying political actors in other countries often set aside partisan interests to support initiatives that strengthen security.

Bamidele called on opposition parties to contribute constructive ideas that would promote peace and stability, adding that they have a responsibility to offer alternatives that would strengthen the country.

“Even when they disagree on some grounds, they are under obligations to provide credible and useful ideas that can make our nation better and greater. Unfortunately, they have not passed this critical test of opposition democracy,” he said.

News

Probe N6.3bn Constituency Funds Or Face Legal Action, SERAP Tells Akpabio, Abbas

Published

7 days ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to refer allegations of the diversion or non-accounting of over ?6.3 billion in constituency project funds to anti-corruption agencies for investigation and possible prosecution.

The group also urged the National Assembly leadership to ensure that anyone found culpable is prosecuted where sufficient admissible evidence exists, while all diverted or unaccounted public funds are recovered and paid into the treasury.

In a letter dated June 27, 2026, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP said the allegations were contained in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2022 Annual Report, published on September 9, 2025.

The organisation disclosed this in a statement signed and released by Oluwadare, yesterday.

SERAP also asked Akpabio and Abbas to disclose the identities of contractors and companies, including their shareholders and beneficial owners, that allegedly received constituency project funds but failed to execute the projects.

It gave the National Assembly seven days to act on its recommendations, warning that it would institute legal proceedings should the legislature fail to respond.

“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and the National Assembly to comply with our request in the public interest,” the letter stated.

It said, “The allegations involve several federal ministries, departments and agencies, including the Environmental Health Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON); the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Volm; the Federal Polytechnic, Udana; the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP); and the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).

“The Auditor-General identified numerous cases of payments into private bank accounts, contracts awarded without due process, payments for contracts not executed or services not rendered, undocumented expenditures, inflated contracts, procurement irregularities and failures to account for public funds, recommending in each case that the funds be recovered and remitted to the treasury.

“According to the 2022 audited report, contained in pages 367 to 396, the Environmental Health Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON or Council) Abuja paid over ‘N22 million [N22,944,565.16] into the private account of some members of staff of the Council from the Constituency Projects Fund Account.

“There ‘was no evidence of the utilization of the funds and no explanations on the purpose for the payment of such amount into the individual accounts.”

SERAP added, “The Council (EHORECON) also in 2021 ‘awarded suspicious consultancy contracts of over N12 million [N12,030,818.29] for the development of Modern Abattoirs in Kebbi State and the supervision of 7 projects in Kebbi, Jigawa, and Headquarters Abuja.

“The money was to ‘produce bills of quantity, architectural design, structural design, mechanical design, and electrical designs for the contracts and supervision.’ But ‘the ‘items could not be found.’”

Altogether, SERAP said the Auditor-General’s 2022 report alleged EHORECON paid more than ?1.8 billion in constituency project funds through questionable transactions.

For the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Vom, SERAP said the institution “in 2022 reportedly ‘paid over N279 million [N279,700,500.00] to 3 contractors to empower and train youths in selected vocational areas in Borgu and Kontagora, Niger State, train women and youths in entrepreneurship in Niger East Senatorial District and to train youths and women in agro production and self-reliance in Barki Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency, Plateau State.

“But the money was paid to the contractors without any document.’”

Other irregularities involving the college include another ?279.7 million in mobilisation fees allegedly paid without documentation, and more than ?629.4 million paid to unqualified contractors for various constituency projects without evidence of due process, contract advertisements or details of the contractors.

SERAP further alleged that the Auditor-General’s report identified multiple financial irregularities involving the Federal Polytechnic, Ukana, Akwa Ibom State, including over ?407 million allegedly paid as mobilisation fees without supporting documents, more than ?399 million paid to unqualified contractors, contracts allegedly inflated by over ?192 million, over ?279 million paid for projects not fully executed, ?50 million allegedly paid for an unexecuted borehole project, and more than ?83 million disbursed without the required documentation or approvals.

It also alleged that NAPTIP reportedly irregularly awarded contracts worth over ?21.8 million, paid more than ?176.8 million for logistics and consultancy services without supporting documents, and disbursed over ?89.6 million and ?4.4 million for projects that were allegedly not executed.

The report also alleged that NILDS failed to submit audited financial statements for 2012 to 2022, did not remit over ?15 million in stamp duties, and spent ?1.6 million without authorisation from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

SERAP said the report recommended the recovery of the affected funds and their remittance to the treasury.

It argued that corruption in constituency projects disproportionately affects poor and vulnerable Nigerians by diverting resources meant for public services and development.

It added that the National Assembly, in exercising its oversight responsibilities, should demonstrate leadership by ensuring accountability in the management of constituency project funds.

The organisation further argued that the allegations, if established, would amount to breaches of the Constitution, the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 and the Public Procurement Act 2007, which require transparency, accountability and due process in the management of public resources.