Election: INEC or SIECOMs?
By Nurudeen Dauda
To start with, in my thought, the best way to “improve” our elections at all levels is to make the “use” of technology “compulsory” not “optional” for all our electoral bodies in the country from INEC to SIECOMs should be made to use its compulsorily. Technology will to a large extent reduce or checkmate human manipulations in the electoral process.
It is sad to note that the “fastest” way to be “stinkingly rich” in our dear country is not by setting up a “company” or by “investing” in the Stock exchange market, but it is by joining “politics” which is why our elections are a must win by our politicians.
There is too much loopholes in the system which makes it highly attractive for political entrepreneurs. Politics in our dear country is a lucrative business with high rate of returns on investment which makes our elections a “do” or “die” affair. Our politicians from all political divide try to win elections by hook or by crook.
In my thought, we need to embrace Technology in our governance process too in order to make our system a service-oriented system as against the present lucrative business system; a service delivery-oriented system will get rid of our “do” or “die” affair elections as it is only those with patriotic zeal to serve will be attractive to the system. We need electoral offences commission with a “Special Court” for trial of electoral offenders. We also need severe punishments for electoral crimes in order to serve as a deterrent to would be electoral offenders.
If truth be told the elections being conducted at local government levels by the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECOMs) are Kangaroo elections which is why some Nigerias are of the opinion that all elections should be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the only way to improve the LGs elections. I do not share this though! The only difference between INEC and SIECOMs elections is the use of technology. The best thing to do is make the use of technology in conducting elections by both INEC and SIECOMs “compulsory” not “optional” in our constitution. Similarly, for us to get it right, our governance process needs to be technology driven too in order to get rid of our “do” or “die” affair elections.
It is a fact that the elections being conducted now by INEC are by far better than the ones being conducted by SIECOMs, but however, It is important to note that the elections being conducted by INEC before the 2011General elections were as bad as the the ones being conducted by SIECOMs nowadays. Even the elections being conducted by INEC are not perfect; the conduct of elections in Nigeria at all levels needed much to be desired.
From the first election conducted in Nigeria in 1922 to date, the 2007 General election was adjudged to be the worst election ever conducted. Accordingly, even the then declared winner of the election late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua acknowledged during his swearing- in that the election was widely flawed.
Late President Yar’Adua pledged to reform the electoral process; he set up a 22-member Electoral Reform Committee on the 28th August of 2007 headed by former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Muhammad Uwais. The committee submitted its report in December 2008 with far-reaching recommendations on how to improve elections in Nigeria. From 2008 up to the death of President Yar’Adua in May 5th, 2010 the report was not implemented.
President Goodluck Jonathan who succeeded the late President Yar’Adua did not implement the report either, but he however appointment Professor Attahiru Jega who was one of the 22- member committee as the INEC chairman in June, 2010.
It is apt to state that from the 2011 elections under Prof. Jega to date, INEC elections are not without many challenges, but have witnessed significant improvements owing to the “use” of technology. In the 2015 General elections, Card-read technology was exploited by politicians for lack of legal backing and in the 2023 General elections, INEC Result Viewing (IREV) technology was also exploited for same reason.
All hands must be on deck towards credible elections at all levels in our dear country as a necessary “ingredient” for Good Governance; credible elections often make leaders accountable and responsible. We must not settle at anything less than credible elections as the most important tool for achieving Good Governance.
Technology is capable of checkmating human factor in what we do!
May God bless Nigeria!
Dauda writes from Kaduna, nurudeendauda24@gmail.com
