by Nick Ezeh
This piece is specifically directed to the international community, especially the Obama-led American government, which has exhibited a stark misunderstanding of the unique nature and challenges of the electoral process in Nigeria. I will address this issue from both the historical and contemporary perspectives, but with a special emphasis on the 2015 elections. The purpose is to flag some of what is right or wrong with the increased level of foreign interest in the 2015 elections. Below is the rest of my thesis:
One: It is noted that, like in previous elections, the pressure on INEC and Jega is just too much. But unlike 2007 for instance, Jega appears to have unwittingly stoked much of the pressures now arrayed against him. I say this because he freely allowed elements of foreign inter-meddlers who are passing off as either monitors, observers or advisers to gain too much access to the point that they now appear to be dictating policies on our elections.
By their words and actions, Jega and these foreigners are demonizing anybody or political party that dares venture a contrary opinion. The ruling party, the military, the NSA, the IGP, the SSS, and even the President are worst-hit, as they have been cast as villains and enemies to ‘credible’ elections. To Jega and these few foreign elements, credible elections means that everything they say, however so unjust, must be accepted by all and sundry. That’s very troubling, and it portends imminent danger to the elections, and to Nigeria’s wellbeing.
Two: Take the PVC for instance, and you get the the impression created by Jega and sold to these foreigners that the PVC can never go wrong. But it did and still does, in more ways than one. Up to this day, they are still in denial over the almost 20 million Nigerians who would have been disenfranchised had the elections held from February 14. It’s telling enough that, foreigners from advanced democracies, are not troubled by the skewed ‘victories’ that would have emerged from such patent anomaly.
It appears that they have come to believe that anything goes, provided it sits well with the opposition, not minding thatvdisadvantaged others. The deliberately or negligently disenfranchised Nigeria voters do not matter. Well-meaning Nigerians and foreign friends of Nigeria should please ponder this, and ensure that we don’t go into March 28 without ensuring electoral justice for all – the voter and all the parties fielding candidates.
Three: As for their opposition to the deployment of security forces on Election Day, Jega seems to have forgotten that organizing elections in the unique setting of Nigeria goes beyond INEC alone. Other pertinent national institutions like the police, the SSS, the military, and immigration, all have disparate roles to play. The police maintains civil order; the SSS acts as sleuths that detect and frustrate those operating covertly to rig or cause trouble.
The military ensures that we won’t have bloodshed as we did in 2011, and secures the areas, like Northeast, which still have pockets of terrorists intent on scuttling the elections in those locales. And the immigration secures our borders to keep away illegal aliens from coming to vote and thereby diluting the results of the elections. It is very disturbing that Jega and these foreigners see it otherwise. Is it a coincidence that the opposition also sees it the same way?
Four: Foreign funding of our elections has become too pervasive, and to the point of becoming a major factor in foreigners brazenly dictating our electoral policies. Unlike before, Jega appears to have stoked an unprecedented regime of INEC taking too much foreign funds. This is dangerous. Nigeria has come full circle to the point that we don’t have any business with asking foreign nations to help fund our elections.
If foreigners are not allowed to fund our political parties, why would we accept their strings-laden freebies to fund our electoral body? This is a national security matter which came to the fore when these foreigners demanded access to the biometrics of Nigeria’s registered voters in 2007. It was reported then that they were refused. It is not being reported now that they have not succeeded. Is Nigeria allowed free reign to fund American elections; and then run wild in America dictating to its umpire and insulting its leaders?
Five: Jega has missed two opportunities, in 2011 and 2015, to push for inclusion of the Diaspora vote. The fine idea of polling the diaspora vote developed out of the ‘Absentee Ballot’ system used in America, whereby Americans living overseas can cast their ballots at any of the American diplomatic missions closest to them. It doesn’t make sense and it is not fair that the Diaspora which remits quantum billions in forex that helps stabilize Nigerian economy are, to this day, still denied the right to vote.
In a close elections, such as we now might have in 2015, the Diaspora may be all it takes to determine who truly won the elections. Therefore, it is duplicitous that foreigners and a Jega who together tout the beauty of credible elections would ignore this fundamental angle to making elections much more credible.
Finally and most importantly, these foreigners, especially the Americans need to rethink this strange notion that elections in emerging nations are credible only when the opposition wins. That’s not true at all, as we can see from the recent reelection of Israeli Prime Minister, Netanyahu. In that very election, these foreign interests gave Netanyahu no chance but the Israeli voter voted otherwise but not before the foreign intermeddling has stoked an atmosphere of tension in Israel.
Here in Nigeria, the same atmosphere now exists to the point of this same people almost calling the election for the main opposition. This is reckless, and unfair to the Nigerian voter, as well as the other political parties that have been marginalized and treated like token players in the electoral process.
Prof Nick Ezeh writes from Abuja, Nigeria. He can be emailed HERE.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
