National Assembly Elections: Challenge We Must Overcome for Democracy

The  Niger Delta Civil Society Coalition(NDCSC)

2 April 2011

National Assembly Elections: Challenge We Must Overcome for Democracy

The  Niger Delta Civil Society Coalition(NDCSC) regrets immensely the postponement of the National Assembly elections today, following the logistical challenges that occasioned it. The NDCSC commend the turn-out and sacrifice made by Nigerian voting public, following the new confidence in the new Election Management Body to the effect that things can be done differently this time around. INEC must forthwith, take effective stock of its impossible internal structure and its inability to support effective change, therefore, do whatever is necessary to ensure the safety of the sensitive material that are already in the public arena, and prepare to augment the necessary shortfall that would definitely result from part use of the same today.

The NDCSC suspect serious conspiracy to sabotage the process, by those  inside and outside INEC, who stand to loose from the extensive stringent checks put in place by the new INEC leadership. These characters have been part of Nigeria’s deepest electoral difficulties from the inception of the transition in 1999. Their intendment must be to discredit the process, create this level of confusion and distrust, and pressure the INEC Chair to resign to enable an acceptable candidate to be appointed, having noticed to this point, that the present leadership will not play ball.

The NDCSC notes with admiration the unparalleled democracy and transparency which the INEC Chair, Professor Attahiru Jega brought forth in INEC.  This could also be denoted from  the openness with which he accepted responsibility for the debacle of today, an experience which could never have taken place in the previous regime.  The NDCSC seriously suspects a high level conspiracy to subvert the process and allow the usual winning of elections that have delivered extreme poverty, impunity, absolute corruption and underdevelopment as democracy dividend. The unpredictability of winner of the forth coming  elections at all levels in the current arrangements, is a plus which must be credited to the new leadership.

The NDCSC wishes to express complete confidence in Professor Jega, as INEC Chair, and cause Nigerians to bear with the situation and turn out en-mass on April 4th, the  new date for the National Assembly elections and subsequent elections thereafter.  This level of resilience is absolutely necessary if the enemies of democracy inside INEC and outside of it,  must be defeated and Nigeria and Nigerians take their pride of place in the comity of developing democracies with a shell.

The NDCSC seriously frowns and indeed, condemns the irresponsible pronouncement credited to Mr. Roland Ewubare, who is being frustrated out of out of the National Human Rights  Commission  for non-performance.  [See post below] The NDCSC wonders whose script Mr Ewubare is using the sacred name of the Rights Commission to perfect and curry relevance. Mr. Ewubare’s  call for INEC chair’s resignation, does not deserve any serious attention, as his energy is devoted to the monies INEC has received under Professor Jega, that as an unstructured Executive Secretary of the Human Rights Commission, he could never contemplate on receiving.

What we need at this critical point in time in Nigeria, is to support and  ensure that a Professor Jega led INEC of our dream, succeed in  making good a qualitative April elections, and  frontally take on the structural  challenges in INEC, including officers  who  would not want to see quality democracy happen in Nigeria through an effective electoral process.

Finally, to further sustain confidence of Nigerians in the process, NDCSC calls on Chairman Jega to immediately show firmness and go beyond accepting responsibility for what has happened,  and cause the Commissioner in-charge of Logistics at INEC headquarters, one Farouk, to  be sacked immediately, therefore have nothing to do with the prosecuting of what is left of the elections. It is noteworthy that early report during the day showed that his home state of Gombe recorded the first fraud of the National Assembly elections, when it was discovered that fake ballot papers flooded the area, therefore, became the first state election to be cancelled. Professor Jega must not contemplate resignation as an option at this stage, as  that would unavoidably lead to an unparalleled down turn for democracy deepening in Nigeria.

Signed:

Anyakwee Nsirimovu

Chair, NDCSC
http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/nigerias-human-rights-commission-director-tells-jega-resign-1

Sahara Reporters

2 April 2011

Nigeria's Human Rights Commission Director Tells Jega To Resign

Following the postponement of today’s National Assembly election, the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been told to step down by the Nigerian Human Rights Commission.

A statement issued today and signed by Roland Ewubare, the executive director of the agency, said, "Prof. Attahiru Jega's position as Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is no longer tenable. He must now step down immediately in the national interest."

Prof. Jega is under fire from several sectors of the Nigerian society over the massive failure of the first leg of the 2011 elections.

Below is the full text of statement by the Nigerian Human Rights Commission:

Statement from the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria regarding today's postponement of elections due to logistical problems, including late delivery of ballot papers:

"Prof. Attahiru Jega's position as Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is no longer tenable. He must now step down immediately in the national interest," said Roland Ewubare, Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission.

"Prof. Jega was given almost one billion dollars to run this election - and he can't even get ballot papers printed on time? He has created a national fiasco of monumental significance." 

Comment on NDCSC Statement from Judy Asuni:

2 April 2011

Thank you for this statement Anyakwee. Although we are yet to know all of the factors leading to the postponement of yesterday's election, I would like to comment on one thing that I do know. One of our local government coordinators was at INEC in Asaba on Friday afternoon-Saturday noon. By Friday evening the House of Reps ballot papers had arrived. The Senate ballot papers and some results sheets arrived at 3 am on Saturday morning by lorry from Benin. They were in large bundles plastic wrapped. The officials began sorting them out at 5 am. By about 10-11 am Saturday it was discovered that all of the ballot papers had arrived, as well as the Senate results sheets. However the House of Reps results sheets were not among the materials received in Asaba. At 11am the new Delta State Commissioner of Police announced that the Delta election was cancelled. The Resident Electoral Commissioner had been on the phone to Abuja and he was called down to join the CP in this statement. Prof Jega announced on national television about 12:45 that the election nationwide was cancelled.

Last night I recalled the 2007 election in Rivers State. I had been at INEC the day before the gubernatorial election, both getting offical observer badges and watching the INEC officials sort out the electoral materials. The morning of the election I was at the Electoral Officer's base for Port Harcourt Local Government, watching her distribute the materials to the various polling units. I looked around and couldn't see any results sheets. Nor did we see any sheets at any of the units that we visited. Nor did we see any counting of ballots. I thought that perhaps that would happen back at the LGA polling center. However, by the time we got there, the ballot boxes were stacked up to the ceiling in a half covered shed, no single INEC official was around, and the rain was quietly beating down on the unopened ballot boxes. I called the Rivers REC three times over the day, expressing concern about lack of results sheets. Finally by the third time, he shouted "oh, you civil society people" and slammed down the phone.

I think it is a good sign that no effort was made to patch up a bad election and pretend that it was good. We know that there is alot of rot in INEC. Eg we organized a roundtable on March 4 on 2 way communication between INEC and its stakeholders. We were told specifically not to invite a certain commissioner because he was working against Jega. It is most unfortunate that this rot was not removed much earlier before it could lead to the unfortunate event of yesterday. Now it is time to clean house and repair the damage.

The level of expectation among Nigerians, especially the youth, is very high.  I hope that people will not just sit back and criticize but rather come up with constructive suggestions for pulling the democratic process back on track.

As Presidents always end their speeches "God bless Nigeria; God bless us all."
Judy

Dr. Judith Burdin Asuni