Opinion: Jega Should Speak Up

by Amanzee Obi

The reluctance or refusal of Prof Attahiru Jega, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to own up to the commission’s inadequacies in the preparation for the forthcoming elec­tions is creating undue anxiety in the polity. Whereas it is obvious to any ca­sual observer that there are gaps in the commission’s preparations for the elec­tions, Jega is papering over the situa­tion. He is creating the impression that all is well and wisely put. This preten­sious disposition is hurting the polity. It is creating disharmony and panic. In the absence of the true knowledge of the situation, many, including the patently uninformed, have jumped into hasty conclusions. They have decided to tell us what to expect. When they are not speculating about possible postpone­ment of the election, they are imagin­ing that a transition government would be put in place because, according to them, Jega’s INEC will not be able to deliver on the scheduled elections. Yet, these are issues that Jega ought to have tutored the Nigerian publics on. This state of affairs makes Jega look incom­petent and confused. This takes me back to the point I have been harping on concerning Jega and the electoral commission.

In September 2014, this column re­flected on Prof Attahiru Jega and his electoral commission. That was in an article, entitled: “We need to watch Jega closely”. The issue then was the plan by INEC to create some 30,000 new polling units across the country. The commis­sion had then allocated over 21,000 of the proposed polling units to the North, leaving the South with a little over 8,000. This lopsidedness in the allocation of the polling units caused an outrage then. The South smelt rat in the arrangement and urged Jega to cancel the new scheme. But the INEC boss thought otherwise. He ad­duced reasons for his action. He tried to explain the situation. But his explana­tions were lacking in logic and common sense to impress anybody.

After weeks of fractious interjections on the matter, the commission decided to soft pedal on the issue. It gave the impression that the idea of new polling units had been rested for now. But we cannot say with certainty whether the commission actually cancelled the idea.

However, 16 days to the scheduled elections, my submissions on the article in question five months ago have come to haunt us. I had submitted as follows:

“Jega has, through this plan, exposed himself to suspicion. This is especially so as he could not convince his southern critics on this. This situation is not helped by the fact that no northerner has raised eyebrow over this matter…This sectional perception and ascription is not good for Jega.”

I then concluded: “There is an overrid­ing need to protect him and the electoral process from the dent he is inflicting on it. We can do this by watching him closely so that he does not lead us into a bind.”

No doubt, concerned Nigerians have been expressing concerns over INEC’s preparedness for the elections. They have had cause to draw attention to the many loopholes that have been witnessed in the preparation for the elections. The most vexed of the matters arising is that of the Permanent Voters Cards, otherwise called PVCs.

Again, Jega’s sectional predilection has been brought to bear on the issue. Reports from across the country indicate that more voters in the North are in possession of the PVCs. One of the reasons for this imbal­ance in the distribution of PVCs again has to do with sectional or regional biases. Those in charge of distribution of the cards are under instruction not to release them to proxies. You can only collect your PVC if you are physically present. You are also expected to exchange the temporary card with the new one. Whereas this directive is strictly being adhered to in the South, a different rule is being applied in the North. The cards are being collected by proxy in the North, especially through traditional rulers.

Apart from this differential application of rules, the distribution of the cards have been hampered by INEC’s inefficiency. Millions of the cards already produced are still in the hands of the commission. The electoral body does not seem to know the best approach to adopt to ensure efficient and effective distribution. Besides, there are thousands of others who have the tem­porary voters cards but INEC is yet to pro­duce the permanent cards for them.

These are some of the issues agitat­ing concerned Nigerians. Perhaps, it was thought that INEC would be able to deal with these issues before now. But it has become worrisome that two weeks to the elections, we still have a lot of issues to grapple with in this and other related re­gards. This situation has called to question the readiness of INEC for the elections. It has led to a situation where some are calling for the postponement of the elec­tions so that the commission can be ready. Yet, in spite of the obvious lapses, Jega is still telling Nigerians that his commission would give them a fair, free and credible election. That has been Jega’s mantra for a long time now. We never believed him anyway because most of the elections conducted in some states of the federation were anything but credible.

For me, any call for a shift in the sched­uled date of the elections rankles. I have had occasion to condemn such calls in this column and elsewhere. But the issue has refused to go away because INEC has not done the right thing. And Nigeri­ans are worried that if the commission goes ahead to conduct the elections on the scheduled dates without appreciable progress in the distribution of PVCs, its outcome will be fraught with allega­tions of impropriety and manipulation . This situation should worry the elec­toral body. But it does not appear to be bothered. Jega has continued to play the ostrich. He has continued to give the im­pression that all is well. But we know it is not.

There is, therefore, an urgent need for Jega to step down from his high horse and face the issue of 2015 elections for what it is. It is because he is dodging the issues that other people are speaking for him. A few days ago, for instance, the National Security Adviser ( NSA) to the president, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.), had cause to call for a shift in the date of the elections. One of the reasons he cited was the unavailability of PVCs to many voters. Dasuki’s call caused a lot of eye­brows to be raised. Many were worried that it was not the job of the NSA to dab­ble into issues as sensitive as conduct of elections. But after some days of analy­ses and reasoned considerations, many have come to believe that the likes of Dasuki spoke because those on the frontline of the issue, such as Jega, have refused to speak up.

Now, the time has become so short. We do not need niceties anymore. We do not need any form of grandstanding. What we need is for Jega to step out and say it as it is. Whatever point he makes about the election will be better under­stood and appreciated more than that of any other person at this point in time.

Jega also needs to speak up in order to add the needed fillip to President Goodluck Jonathan’s resolve to ensure that Nigerians are given a free, fair and credible elections that they will be proud of. That is one promise that Jonathan made to Nigerians. Those who know him as a man of his words are convinced that he means business. The fact that he is a candidate in the elections under consideration has not changed anything. The man has told us time and time again that there is nothing sacrosanct about his ambition. He does not want any drop of blood to be shed for the sake of his presidential bid. In the same vein, he does not want anyone to give the election a bad name for his own sake. Since we know that an elec­tion is not necessarily an event but a process, there is the need to ensure that the process is as transparent as its out­come. A faulty process cannot produce a credible outcome. Jega ought to know this. Indeed, he knows it. But he needs to let us know where we stand now. The time is truly up.

Amanzee Obi is a freelance writer. He can be reached by email [email protected]

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.