*Conducts 28 governorship, 1,021 constituency elections across 36 states
*Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Kaduna, Imo, others as states to watch
Pundits and key followers of Nigeria’s electoral process have urged that the Independent National Electoral Commission'(INEC) must brace up in this weekend’s governorship and State Assembly elections, so as to at least return a little of Nigerians’ confidence in the umpire, following the widely accepted electoral blunders it committed in the conduct of the February 25 presidential election.
In the build up to the presidential and National Assembly elections, INEC had severally assured voters that it has introduced as well as acquired several technological innovations that would make the polls stand exceptional from the nation’s previous ones.
These effective innovations according to the commission’ included the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which is designed to capture true holders of the Permanent Voters Card (PVC), as well as the introduction of the INEC results viewing portal, IReV, which it said would put an end to releasing doctored results as is the case in the previous elections. The IReV according to INEC is an election results viewing portal which will ensure that only correct results are directly uploaded from the polling units, through the BVAS is displayed for public view.
But INEC regrettably failed in its numerous assurances as the February 25 presidential election was marred with alleged irregularities, following the failure of the commission to transmit the polling units results direct to the results portal before it commenced declaration. Other flaws by INEC included lack of adequate election materials in some places, as well as delay in the arrival of election materials and personnel.
The commission’, despite the huge outcry that greeted the process and declaration of the election results, pronounced the presidential candidate of the ruling All progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, as winner.
This INEC admitted technical glitches have however led to rejection of the February 25 presidential election by the two major opposition contenders, Atiku Abubakar’ and Peter Obi and their political parties, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP), who have proceeded to challenge the declaration of Tinubu at the election tribunal.
The outcome of the election has expectedly attracted several criticisms and condemnations from the international community, especially the numerous international groups that observed the polls.
As the second and final leg of the 2023 general elections come up this weekend with the governorship and State Assembly elections, INEC has in it’s usual character, promised to conduct a free, fair and credible election, just as it promised to make up it’s shortcomings in the last election.
The commission’ has also expressed it’s determination to right the February 25 presidential election wrongs as it on Thursday commenced the distribution of sensitive election materials at different states.
This is as INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has advised political parties and their supporters not to see the polls as war, but as a contest.
Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who gave the advise at a meeting of the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security(ICCES) on Tuesday, ahead of tomorrow’s governorship and State Assembly election, stressed that the governorship and state assembly elections this weekend would involve more constituencies than the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections.
He noted that unlike the last elections, which involved 470 constituencies – one presidential, 109 senatorial districts, and 360 House of Representatives seats – the state elections would involve 1,021 constituencies – 28 governorship and 993 state assembly candidates.
Yakubu stressed that there would also be more candidates involved and more collation centres to protect, saying they are local elections involving keen contests.
He stated, “It is, therefore, important for parties and candidates to speak to their agents and supporters to see the elections as a contest and not war. They should refrain from acts of violence that may mar the elections or compromise the security of our personnel, observers, the media and service providers.”
National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), told the meeting that Saturday’s elections, billed to take place in over 1,000 constituencies, would be more complicated than the February 25 polls. Monguno appealed to the political parties to call their members and supporters to order
The NSA admitted that Saturday’s elections were going to be much more complicated, adding that contextually they are going to be different.
According to Monguno, “First of all, we are going to have 1,021 constituencies. Meaning, we are going to have more people interested, more people voting, more collation centres and obviously the dynamics will be much more different than the elections that we have just concluded.”
Monguno commended the political parties and individuals that participated in the February 25 elections, especially those that called for peace and calm. He urged political gladiators and individuals at the state level to demonstrate the same level of maturity and discipline by calling their supporters to conduct themselves in a manner in sync with the expectations of the larger Nigerian society.
Monguno stated, “For the security agencies, I know a lot has been done. I have been talking with the Chief of Defence Staff and the IGP, who is the head of the lead agency in the process of election.
“So far so good, we do not envisage anything that is going to be terrible or apocalyptic in terms of the next few days. But that does not mean that we should all do away with our state of readiness.
“We must comply with the rules; we must also allow everyone to exercise their fundamental rights as citizens of this country. What we do not want happening is for anybody to take the law into his or her own hands,” he warned
Considering the complexity and determination of the contending political parties and their candidates, to win, some state have been designated as flash points, where both INEC and the security agencies have been advised to pay serious attention to
These flash points states include Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Enugu, Imo, Edo, Abia, Delta, Anambra, Benue, Kaduna and plateau
The Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room, a coalition of Civil Society Organizations, while identifying these flash points state on Thursday, expressed fears of likely violence in the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections
The organisation said it would deploy 2,340 election observers, with at least three election observers in each of the 774 local government areas, excluding the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The Convener of the NCSSR, Ene Obi, stated these while reading a preliminary statement on the pre-election environment ahead of the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
Situation Room said it expected that INEC had taken lessons from the challenges experienced during the Presidential and National Assembly elections held on February 25 2023, and “made adequate arrangements to forestall the recurrence of the gaps observed during the elections.”.
“In particular, the Situation Room calls on INEC to address the shortages in the number of ad hoc staff available for the elections, make adequate transportation arrangements, conduct additional training for the ad hoc staff, and promptly reconfigure and deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and other materials required for the elections and most importantly, ensure that it communicates in a timely manner to the public on any challenges or changes made to the election
Obi said, “Your fears are my fears. That’s why the security agencies must act. We are not seeing actions, even where people have been indicted for election violence. We should all stand up for Nigeria.
Lagos:
Results in of the February 25 presidential election in Lagos state may have jolted a fresh tension as the popularity of the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour, has turned out to be a major threat and nightmare to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos state. The demystifying victory of LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi in Lagos, which has been the political stronghold of his APC rival, Bola Tinibu, has thrown Lagos into a danger specie ahead of Saturday’s election, as the outcome has not only led to violence but has degenerated into burning of markets of some Igbo traders who are accused on of voting on tribal lines. The security situation in Lagos has made the state a strong flash point, as fears have heightened among the APC stakeholders that should the governorship election voting take the same pattern of the February 25, there is strong tendency that power of incumbency may not save or return sitting Governor Babajide Sanwo -Olu to power, just as many state assembly candidates are also embattled
Kano
The bitter political rivalry between former Governor and presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and the incumbent, Abdulahi Umar Ganduje, has turned Kano state into the political killing state of the North. It would be recalled that Ganduje was a deputy Governor under Kwankwaso before he was elected Governor in 2015
The rivalry which has nosedived into killings and arson started in the 2019 election, when Kwankwaso then with the PDP, tried to take over Kano and stop the second term ambition of Ganduje
It took a second voting to save Governor Ganduje from Kwankwas’s plot in 2019
With the outcome of the February 25 presidential election in Kano state, it has become obvious that Kwankwaso, also a former defense minister has taken over the state as he won over 900, 000 votes against Ganduje’s preferred presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu of the APC.
Kwankwas’s NNPP also won two out of the three Kano state senatorial seats, as well as more House of Representatives seats to make Saturday’s election more complicated in Kano
While incumbent Governor Ganduje is seeking continuity with his deputy, Nasir Gawuna, Kwankwaso is seeking to take over and dethrone him with his choice candidate, Abba Kabir Yusuf
Rivers state
In Rivers state, the political battle has been between the former Governor, and minister of transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amechi, and his former ally and incumbent Governor, Nyesom Wike.
This is however before the emergence of the Labour Party and it’s Obidient tsunami which also wrecked havoc in Rivers state during the last Presidential election. While Amaechi is seeking the enthronement of APC’s Dele Cole, Governor Wike is fighting hard for continuity through his annointed successor, Sim Fugbara, while the Labour Party is relying on its feat at the February 25 presidential election to stage an upset in the oil rich state, hence the state must be on the watch list of both INEC and security agencies
Kaduna
In Kaduna state, Governor Nasir El’ Rufai would be seeking to redeem his image, after loosing to the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the last Presidential election.
Kaduna is no doubt a flash point state in Saturday’s governorship and State Assembly elections as killing has returned in full force without any effort by both government and security agencies to protect the defenseless citizens, especially in the southern senatorial district. This situation may affect the turn out of voter who are already living in fears
While Governor El’Rufai may see tomorrow’s election as his last opportunity to remain politically relevant by ensuring victory for his ally Uba Sani, the opposition PDP with it’s strong contender, Ashiru will fight hard to consolidate on it victory at the presidential election to send the APC packing in the state
Abia
Saturday’s governorship and State Assembly elections will be more complex and too close to call in Abia state, following the strength of three major contending political parties, ODP, LP and APGA and their candidates
While the Labour Party and the Obidient group may have sent a strong message to the other through the outcome of the presidential election, it is obvious that the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has re strategized, after the disgrace show on February 25, just as it is said the both the LP and APGA can boast of presenting strong candidate at both the governorship and State constituencies
In view of all these, ahead of the elections, Situation Room noted that security situation across the country appears tense, with reports of violence, kidnap and assassination in several States including Lagos, Rivers, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Kano.
“As such, Situation Room reminds the Nigeria Police and other security agencies that they have a primary responsibility to guarantee the safety and security of election officials as well as other election stakeholders, including voters, polling agents, election observers, the media and service providers.
It therefore urged agencies to take adequate measures to forestall the recurrence of acts of voter suppression, disruption of voting, and outright violence experienced in some places during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.