All does not seem to be well with Nigeria’s plans for the 2023 general elections. Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, and a civic group, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) have to raise serious doubts about the elections.
What they are saying implies that the integrity of Nigeria’s next cycle of general elections is currently under threat. Disturbingly, the simmering situation is capable of throwing up a dire humanitarian crisis in the country if the authorities failed to allay the potentially dangerous fears about the uncertain 2023 polls.
Outspoken Governor Wike is alleging that only compromised academics who are willing to submit names of politically exposed lecturers as returning officers to rig elections for the ruling party, are being appointed as Vice-Chancellors of federal universities.
PLAC on its part is saying there is growing concern or even anger among stakeholders that interests within the National Assembly appear set to scuttle hopes for credible general elections in Nigeria in 2023.
Last February, the joint committees of the National Assembly on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Electoral Matters, in the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively, agreed on a common draft bill.
This document was then to be presented to the plenary of both houses, for passage. At the public hearing on the bill last December, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, assured that the National Assembly will pass the bill before the end of March 2021.
This was not to be as Lawan changed the timeline to now be that the bill be passed before the end of June 2021. Already into July 2021, the National Assembly is yet to pass the Electoral (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill.
Within the week however, indications, according to PLAC, have emerged that the draft agreed to by the joint committee may have been tinkered with.
”Concern has mounted that some of the progressive portions of the bill may have been altered to make the exercise almost meaningless. Key among the ground-breaking amendments is clause 50(2), where the committee recommended the following for passage: voting at an election and transmission of result under this Bill shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by the Commission.
”Indications are that this clause has been amended to read as follows: Voting at an election under this bill shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by the Commission, which may include electronic voting, PROVIDED that the Commission shall not transmit results of elections by electronic means.
”The implication is that were this new provision to pass, it will be illegal for INEC to transmit results of elections by electronic means. INEC has shown over the course of the last few years, especially with recent elections, that electronic transmission of results significantly reduces electoral fraud and delays in announcement of result”, says PLAC on its website.
Continuing, the group says INEC has also shown its ability to continue to improve on its use of technology during elections. Seeking to out-rightly outlaw INEC’s transmission of results by electronic means will give the country one of the most retrogressive legal interventions in the conduct of elections.
”It is therefore curious where this attempt to prohibit the use of electronic means of transmission of election results is coming from. This position was never canvassed at any public hearing conducted by the National Assembly leading up to the joint committee’s report, nor was any memorandum submitted or canvassed in support of this. It is however unclear whether the inserted provision in the draft Electoral Bill that prohibits electronic transmission of results is widely held in the National Assembly or if it was inserted by a small clique of interests anxious to shoot down progress in Nigeria’s electoral system.
”The use of technology in elections has become important in the light of challenges posed by human factor. In September 2020, INEC held a virtual demonstration of information technology solutions for electronic voting and collation of results by 40 companies, as part of its efforts to deepen the electoral process through the deployment of technology”, PLAC adds.
The electoral agency has also introduced the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal and Z-pads for the upload and viewing of polling unit election results in real-time. More recently, it introduced the ‘INEC Voter Enrolment Device’ (IVED) for Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).
Several stakeholders lauded these steps, acknowledging that the automation of various election processes will serve to improve the credibility of elections and boost citizens’ confidence. Restricting the use of technology to voting will hamper on efforts of INEC, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to improve Nigeria’s elections through technology.
Another worrying aspect of the draft bill is the concern of significant increase made to the limits of election expenses in clause 88, with that of presidential election increased from N5billion to N15billion; that of governorship election from N1 billion to N5 billion; Senatorial election from N100 million to N1.5 billion and House of Representatives election from N70 million to N500 million.
The limit of expenses for House of Assembly election has been increased to N50 million from N30 million, while that of Chairmanship election to an Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory is N50 million from N30 million.
According to PLAC, ”the dominance of money politics in Nigeria’s elections is detrimental, as finances constitute a major hindrance to women and youth inclusion in politics. Related to this, is clause 90(2)(b), which increases the limit of donation by an individual to a political party, from N1 million to N50 million.
”Also, in clause 88(11), the fine for an individual who donates more than N50 million to a candidate, has been increased from N500,000 to N5 million, with the option of imprisonment removed. This punitive measure will barely serve as a deterrent in this case.
”With higher limits of election expenses, monitoring campaign expenses will prove more difficult. In addition, limits to campaign expenses have been dramatically increased by these amendments, making it even more difficult for disadvantaged groups including women, young persons and the poor to participate in the electoral process.
”It is important for the National Assembly to critically consider the bill, to provide Nigerians with a new, holistic electoral law that will serve to improve the quality of elections and democracy, in general. It is equally important that the bill is passed timeously to allow ample time to make preparations for the 2023 general elections in line with the provisions of the new law.”
Wike is however warning vice-chancellors and lecturers to be wary of attempts by some unscrupulous politicians to use them to manipulate elections, declaring that those contemplating to rig elections in Rivers will be treated as a coup plotters.
He was speaking during the foundation laying ceremony for the construction of 9200 capacity ultramodern convocation arena of the University of Port Harcourt by his administration on Tuesday.
Wike said it is worrisome that Nigeria has degenerated to the point where politicians now influence who becomes a Vice Chancellor of a federal government for the purposes of rigging elections.
”Let me warn, not one person will dare to rig election in Rivers. Not one person will dare it. I have told people, allow university community to produce those who will be leaders of this country.
”Don’t turn university community to be where you will have politicians who manipulate and change the mandate of the people. Anybody who does that, you know it is a coup and you know the punishment for coup plotters”, the governor said, stressing that the reason why there is so much tussle these days on who becomes vice-chancellor of federal universities, is because of political interference by extraneous forces.
He described as heartrending a situation whereby lecturers who are supposed to revered in society, willfully compromise their integrity, just to become vice-chancellor, who will afterwards be used to manipulate elections.
”These days , you see a lecturer, a PhD holder, a professor ready to soil his name, to allow himself to be kidnapped and taken somewhere to sign result and to declare somebody who did not win election winner.”
While Wike enjoined desperate politicians in the ruling party not to dent the integrity of the university system because of their inordinate ambition, he warned that any vice-chancellor that allows himself to be used to rig election in Rivers, should be prepared for the consequences of such hideous act.
”If you want to play politics with us, I will rub you mud. If you want to join us (politicians), openly come and join us. But if you want to hide under the university.”
He declared that 2023 general election will be completely different from the 2019 election which was manipulated by the ruling party. He insisted that attempts to prevent transmission to election results electronically will be resisted.
”INEC knows that they have to be prepared in 2023. And that is why we will resist any attempt for anybody to manipulate the amendment of the Electoral Act, to say that election results will not be transmitted electronically. That will not happen. If you want the vote of the people to count, the result must be transmitted electronically.”
Wike further stated that as an alumnus of the University of Port Harcourt, his business is not to play politics in the University, but to see how he can contribute to the development of the institution, and accordingly promised to complete a primary school building in the university that was abandoned by the previous administration for inexplicable reason.
Acting Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Stephen Okodudu, commended the governor for consistently identifying with the ideals and aspiration of the university.
”You have continued to support the successive administrations of the university through donation of funds and provision of social infrastructure to give meaning to the lives of staff and students. I recall with nostalgia, that you attracted then construction of the Faculties of Law and Social Sciences buildings while serving as the Hon. Minister of State for Education.”
Chairman of the Governing Council of the university, Senator Andrew Uchendu, applauded Governor Wike for laying the foundation for what will be the best, iconic convocation arena in West Africa.
Performing the inauguration of the new convocation arena, immediate past vice-chancellor of the university, Professor Ndowa E. Lale, said Wike’s decision to construct the new convocation arena is a further demonstration that he has a heart to add value to the institution.
He declared that history will be kind to Governor Wike because he has deliberately worked conscientiously for public good.
Earlier, Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Projects, George Kelly Alabo, said 9200 capacity convocation arena is going to have convertible compartments, offices, assembly hall, 750kva transformer and will be completed in 14 months, adding, ”this structure will not only be aesthetically pleasing, it will also be structurally sound.”
