Nelson Ekujimi
Nigeria, Sept., 14, 2016 – With about 72 hours away to the conduct of the 2016 Edo state gubernatorial election and in the midst of repeated assurances by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its preparedness to ensure a credible exercise, Nigerians and indeed, lovers of democracy were thrown into a state of shock by the sudden media briefing of the Nigeria Police and the Department of State security (DSS) in Abuja, the federal capital on Wednesday 7th September, 2016, calling on INEC to postpone the elections over security threats by those, it referred to as insurgents and extremists to cause mayhem in the country between September 12 and 13, 2016 of which Edo state was one of the targets.
The disappointment and panic caused by this security advise on the heartbeat of our democracy is beyond description because nobody saw it coming as all the political parties and their candidates had campaigned vigorously and were on the eve of rounding it up, the local and international observers were already on ground, the media and over 25, 000 security operatives had been deployed to provide security by the authorities, not forgetting the electorate who were also rearing to go in exercising the franchise on the scheduled election day.
However, in tandem with its responsibility of ensuring the sanctity of the process, INEC, the only institution constitutionally saddled with the responsibility of management of elections insisted on going ahead with the election in view of preparations already put in place and having not been officially communicated with the latest development by the security agencies.
Painfully, with less than 48 hours to go, INEC had to postpone the elections by two weeks after it had had been officially briefed by the security agencies of the security threat which could affect the credibility of the election in view of it falling short of the provisions of the Electoral Act of which INEC is duty bound to comply with in the discharge of its functions. It’s an understatement to describe the postponement as a huge disappointment in view of the resources and mindset committed to the election by all the relevant stakeholders and political watchers.
Thus, by heeding the security advice and postponing the election, this INEC under Prof. Mahmud Yakubu has once again demonstrated a great sense of responsibility and patriotism, respect for sanctity of human lives and the electoral process which might have been imperiled if it had gone ahead with the elections against the advice.
For our information and education, the primary responsibility of INEC is to conduct elections which cannot be successfully done without the collaboration and support of other stakeholders such as the provision of adequate security, peaceful and orderly conduct of party agents and voters. We must also note that the provisions of the Electoral Act are stated explicitly and must be fulfilled for an election to be termed as free, fair and credible, fundamental of which is the exercise of franchise by voters in an atmosphere devoid of fear and intimidation.
Unfortunately, instead of looking at the issues dispassionately in view of our challenging security situation nationwide, some “Nigerians” rushed to judgement by describing the security report as a ruse and politicizing security which is about protection of human lives devoid of discrimination of sex, age, colour, religion, ethnicity, political bias, etc. But we must note that in the midst of this condemnation of the security report which necessitated the postponement, there are certain category of Nigerians who have showed genuine apprehension and concern about this development unlike the hypocritical condemnation which was not unexpected from certain quarters because of their antecedent.
But the apprehension over this postponement by genuine interests can be understood and appreciated in view of the compromised and political conspiracy of our security apparatus under the previous administration. The fears is better described as a hangover from the irresponsibility and treasonable plot of the security agencies to cause a postponement of the 2015 general elections in 2015 of which this new shift in date in the Edo state gubernatorial poll is seen in the same mould.
One recollects that for the first time in our political history, the 2015 general election suffered a postponement of 6 weeks after INEC was arm twisted by the security chiefs who made a 360 % u- turn from their earlier position of preparedness to provide adequate security on the eve of the election, only to sing a new song of the need to be allowed to concentrate on addressing security challenges posed by the threat of boko haram in the North East for the time being. Despite the overwhelming condemnation of the position of the security apparatus and the admonition of Nigerians for INEC to conduct elections in areas not troubled by insurgency and then go back to those areas ravaged by the menace of boko haram to conduct elections when the conditions are suitable having seen through the anti democratic plot, INEC succumbed to the treasonable felony plot and intimidation of the ex security chiefs to postpone the general elections.
Before then, information was rife in the air of the alledged attempt by the immediate past administration of former President Jonathan to scuttle democracy through a postponement of the 2015 general elections and this much was confirmed when the ex National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki (Rtd.) went to Chatham house in London in January 2015 to fly the kite for the postponement of the 2015 general elections for 3 months by citing in his view, poor distribution of the PVC by INEC as the basis. He was roundly condemned by Nigerians who saw through the plot to destabilize our democracy and elongate the tenure of the then government unconstitutionally.
This is not to forget that, prior to the date for the conduct of the 2015 general elections, various individuals, groups and even chieftains of the then ruling party were conscripted into the anti democratic plot of calling for its postponement by the powers that be then based on several grounds chief among which were, insecurity in the north east occasioned by the menace of boko haram, alledged poor distribution of PVC in the southern part of the country unlike in the north, alleged bias of Prof. Attahiru Jega in favour of the north against the south and strident calls for his removal, etc. Some of the groups even engaged in public vandalism and brigandage in some south east states and Lagos just to drive fear and intimidation into the minds of the electorate in order to sabotage the electoral process for the evil and anti people’s interest of their paymasters.
But to God be the glory as all their anti democratic plots collapsed like a pack of cards as the electorate went out defiantly on the new election day and like they say, the rest is history.
While we recognize that people have the right to question the veracity of the security report on Edo state gubernatorial polls out of so many reasons such as the fear that are we going back to our immediate inglorious past when the security agencies became political, partisan and unprofessional in the discharge of their functions in utter violations of the constitution? One differs with this school of thought in view of the fact that we don’t have a counter position or fact to disprove the security report and also because unlike in the past, there is no double speak and compromise of the security apparatus on the election, this time around.
Despite the fact that we are disappointed by this postponement due to security threats which is an indictment on our security system in urgent need of a rejig, we must look forward with optimism to the new date of September 28th, 2016 for the Edo state gubernatorial elections and we owe it a responsibility to admonish all the stakeholders to play according to the rules and galvanize the electorate to come out enmasse to peacefully and orderly exercise their franchise in a manner representative of the democratic tenet of one man, one vote, one woman, one vote as they would have done on the old date.
Thus, the time has come for Nigerians to tenaciously uphold the sanctity of human lives in our endeavours by jettisoning the crude political philosophy of do or die. The elections in Edo state is about the political destiny of the people for the next four years and so, it behooves on us to be very concerned about the sanctity of the process and human lives by ensuring that the peace of the state is not threatened before, during and after the elections through a credible exercise, afterall, there should be life after the elections.
NB: Nelson Ekujumi is a public affairs commentator
