The 2023 General Elections in Nigeria: Issues Arising

On the 25^th day of February 2023, Nigerians went to the polls to elect their President and all the members of the 10^th National Assembly. Even though the contests were not without their usual intrigues, tensions, expectations, and surprises; it was relatively peaceful. In the end, a president-elect has been announced. But for about 11 Senatorial Districts and 36 Federal Constituencies where elections have been rescheduled, winners also have been announced for all the seats in the federal legislature, thereby leaving aggrieved contestants with the only option of approaching the court over any grievance.

Preparatory to the February polls, a lot of political watchers feared that the contests or competition was going to be very keen, intense, or even bloody. The build-up to the polls had been characterized by the trading of accusations and counter-accusations about what has been done and those left undone.

The three or four major political parties in the elections – the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party (LP), and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) apparently threw their all into the contests. In the end, what has come out clearly is some bashing and condemnations for the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its handling of the whole process. Although, it could be argued that it has become a political culture in Nigeria for losers not to lose gallantly; it is difficult to merely ignore some of the allegations being leveled against the Commission by Nigerians, especially those of the opposition political parties.

The goal of this piece is not to apportion blame as to what has been done and the things not being done. The write-up only seeks to consider the issues and lessons thrown up by the elections. First, the last election has clearly shown that religion and ethnicity still play a major part in the choice of political office seekers in Nigeria. It is observed that the Labour Party which had no known political structure anywhere could win in no fewer than 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

It will be recalled that the party was created in 2002 under the name, Party for Social Democracy (PSD) before changing its name to LP the following year. Up to now, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, a former Governor of Ondo State has been the only one elected in 2009 as Governor under the Party’s platform, the highest feat the party has achieved. He later decamped to the PDP in 2014.

 In the Senate, the LP had no single member until a senator decamped from the PDP to the LP late last year. In the House of Representatives, a member was elected from Ondo state but same defected to another party in 2011. His seat was later declared vacant by even the Nigerian Supreme Court. Another member elected from Oyo State under the LP to the House cross-carpeted to the APC in 2018. These known ones, show the LP had been without any structures. Yet, the party could garner a whopping over 6 million votes in the 2023 elections. Analysts have largely attributed (and in my opinion, rightly so) the success of the LP to the backing of the church which has served as the only known structure that the party has used. Even the pattern of voting especially that coming from the North Central zone points in that direction.

Second. The just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections have shown that there is virtually nothing that can break a willing and determined people. It is no small surprise but a shock to a lot of people to see a political party with no known political structure displace others in their traditional strongholds. The case in point is that of the defeat of the APC by the LP in Lagos State. It is inconceivable that a party such as LP could trash the APC and its presidential flagbearer in Lagos which is known to always be within the grips of the flagbearer who had become a kingmaker over the years. Close watchers of political events in the country have reasoned that it is not the influence of the flagbearer that has waned but that the people are determined for a change, and therefore would not allow anything to stand in their way.

Third, the recent Presidential and National Assembly elections witnessed no fewer than 6 state Governors lose their bids to go to the Senate. These include Governors Samuel Ortom of Benue, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, Solomon Lalung of Plateau, Darius Ishaku of Taraba, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu Sate, Ben Ayade of Cross-River and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia. Each of them has completed a two-term of 8 years in their various states. It cannot be imagined that with all the usual machinery at the disposal of these figures, they could lose elections in such a sweeping way. This only goes to show either or both of two things. It is either that the Nigerian electorate is fast becoming more sophisticated to demand performance and accountability ever than before or that the elections themselves were freer and fairer than they used to be. The belief in some quarters that the wind of the Obidient movement has swept the Governors away will be far from the truth if one considers that of all these individuals, only in Enugu State was the victorious candidate from the Labour Party.

Fourth, the elections under review clearly show that the youth armed with social media is fast constituting a serious force to be reckoned with now and in future elections. It is hardly controvertible that whatever strength the Obidient movement was able to muster within the short period preceding the elections is largely attributable to the youth and its activity in the social media space.  The result is what we have witnessed in the outcome of the elections. A lot of observers have noted that if the same youth had matched its activeness in the social media space with voters’ turnout at the elections, the candidate of the Labour Party whom the majority of these youth worked for would have been a candidate very difficult to beat. Unfortunately, this was not so as it has been observed that most of these youth did not exercise the ultimate civil obligation of voting for their preferred candidates.

Fifth, it is now becoming clearer than ever that no presidential candidate in Nigeria can emerge by just the votes of either the Northern or Southern Region of Nigeria. This has been evident in the spread of the votes of the three leading candidates and their chances of emerging as they would be in past elections.

Since it is not possible and practicable for a candidate to have all the votes of either the South or the North, it is persistently required that for a presidential candidate to emerge, he/she much look up to the votes of the electorate outside his/her own region. In the current elections, even though the candidate of the PDP was able to win in 9 of the states in the North, and 3 of the ones in the South, he still needed to do more for him to be able to make the expected mark. A similar analysis could be done with the LP that won in 9 of the states in the South and 2 of those of the North in addition to the FCT. What about the APC that was able to triumph in 5 of the states in the South and 7 of the ones in the North? The spread and pattern of the votes in the elections only lend credence to the point being canvassed.

These are a few of the issues that will occupy our national discourse in the days, months, and years ahead.

Written by Bamidele Jacobs.

 

ONE MORE STEP TAKEN FOR DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA

By James Apeh Esq

The successful conduct of the 2015 general election marked a milestone in the development of the Nigerian democracy. This is not unconnected to the fact that it witnessed a lot of firsts in the history of the Nigerian polity; It was the first time that an incumbent president was defeated at the polls; it was also the first time that a presidential candidate conceded defeat and even went ahead to congratulate the winner.

It would not be entirely incorrect to suggest that people the world over generally view a democratic government as the most preferred system that least violates the rights of citizens. This perception is undoubtedly as a result of the view that democracy in its advanced form is a universal idiom of liberty, justice and human development. Democracy as it is understood today has come a long way in the African continent in general and Nigeria in particular. Because of her rather unfortunate past of being a British colony, the entity known as Nigeria today has had to develop from her traumatic roots in colonialism.

The colonial state which in every respect was the precursor of the post colonial state played a critical role in the slow development of a democracy in Nigeria. In colonial Africa there were two features of state power; its absolutism and arbitrariness. As if to underscore its arbitrariness of power, the officials of the colonial state showed hardly any interest in transforming domination into hegemony. Also since the colonial state was for its subjects, it could not engender any legitimacy even though it made rules and laws profusely and propagated values.

At independence, Africans were seeking a democracy as matter of survival; they believed that there were no alternatives to this quest; they thought that they had nothing to lose and great deal to gain. However this belief was destroyed as the form and function of the state in colonial Africa did not change much at independence. State power remained essentially the same, immense arbitrary often violent, always threatening.

The Nigerian state at independence was inherently a violent institution and to that extent a crisis generating mechanism. Repression suppression and intimidation were essential attributes of the state in the post-colonial period. The establishment of hegemony, consensus building, dialogue, negotiation, respect for human rights and the rule of law were largely alien to its modus operandi. These attributes were inherited form the colonial state. The development of a bourgeoise nation-state based on abiding respect for the rights of citizens and the establishment of a liberal political order was not the central concern for the colonial state. If anything the colonial state was an untamed leviathan which relied on force and coercion rather than hegemony and legitimacy as mechanisms of rule.

Thus the hopes and aspirations of Africans were thus dashed. Democracy they failed to realize was an expensive project, in both human and material resources. It requires discipline, patience, vision and commitment. As such, no sooner had new democracies emerged in Africa than they began to crumble with ease, threatening a return to the state of nature for many. This situation was worsened by the phenomenon of protracted military rule and dictatorship. Nigeria is now fifty four years old and has only witnessed sixteen years of uninterrupted sustained democracy.

Colonialism by itself may not necessarily be the defining factors in ascertaining the direction, speed and scope of change for a country. The nature and ideology of the succeeding elite, geography, tradition, patriotism and culture are fundamental ingredients that explain how people react to given phenomena. The reaction of a group of people to colonialism will differ depending on the cultural luggage of the colonized people. The events that played out in the 2015 general elections can no doubt be seen as a good omen in the direction, speed and scope of the development of democracy in the country.

In spite of the challenges faced, the Nigerian people reacted positively to the development of democracy in the political entity known as Nigeria. They came out to vote even when they were threatened not to, Nigerians waited for the votes to be counted under extreme whether conditions in some cases, the youths represented by the coppers of the national youths service corps played various roles at the polling units during the elections and the academia represented by the REC of various states of Nigerian played an important role of being uncompromising. The civil society organizations played their role of monitoring the elections to ensure that they were fair. The media played their part in informing Nigerians on happenings before, during and after the elections. The president elect on his part played an important role by not giving up on running for the post of the present in spite of repeated failure and finally the incumbent president who lost conceded and congratulated his successor.

Considering the arms build up, the divisive campaigns and international predictions of crisis that preceded this year’s election, Nigerians have every cause to be proud and grateful.  The manner in which the 2015 general election was conducted and the response to the result of declaration by INEC of the results those who ran for elective positions both the governors federal and state level shows that Nigeria is rising . If we collectively and individually resolve to we can record a bigger first than the ones recorded in the 2015 general elections.

 

NIGERIA ELECTIONS: SITUATION ROOM FINAL STATEMENT ON THE GUBERNATORIAL AND STATE HOUSES OF ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS

 

Issued: Monday, 13^th April 2015

 

The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, after observing the State-level elections for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly, which held on Saturday, 11^th April 2015, makes the following statement:

 

The Situation Room acknowledges and commends the significant improvements in the electoral process made by INEC.  In the main, the elections went well across the country, notably with about 90% of polling stations opening on time and the Card Readers operating with minimal hitches. Turn out at the poll was however largely low.

 

Situation Room wishes to draw attention to the following concerns and reservations as observed during the elections, whichraise issues about the credibility of the elections in some States. Information obtained from our networks of field observers and partners indicate the following:

·               Numerous cases of electoral misconduct – disorderly conduct at polling units – in Akwa Ibom (10 reports received), Katsina (17) and Sokoto (18);

·               Many cases of process violations in Sokoto (15 reports received), Adamawa (6), Delta (7) and Katsina States (9);

·               Polling logistics problems in Akwa Ibom (14), Delta (9), Katsina (8), Rivers (11), Adamawa (6) and Sokoto (12) States;

·               Cases of election related violence in Akwa Ibom (18), Abia (9), Anambra (7), Delta  (9), Imo (6), Rivers (16), Benue (6), Katsina (17), Sokoto (17) and Kano States (7);

·               Killings in Rivers State where seven people (including a police officer) were killed as well as in Akwa Ibom (3), Delta (2), Katsina (2).

 

Situation Room is further concerned about the overall conduct of the elections in Rivers and Akwa Ibom States, where there are good grounds to question the credibility of the elections results in both States.

 

In Rivers State, historically deep-rooted political animosities played out in a brazen, violent and naked manner to subvert the electoral process in many local governments in the State. In Akwa Ibom there were also serious questions about the veracity of the results because of reports of active and direct partisan interference with the elections.  There are also concerns about Abia State, which recorded multiple cases of electoral misconduct.

 

We note that INEC has had to cancel elections in polling units in some States because of election-related violence and otherirregularities; while in others it has commenced investigations.

 

The Situation Room hereby calls on INEC to urgently take steps to clinically scrutinise the final collated results from these three States (Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Abia) against the polling unit results and make a reasoned judgment about them. 

 

In our view INEC should concern itself with possible negative public perceptions of the elections in the three States and ensure that it takes every necessary step to protect the integrity of the elections in the States, as a way of strengthening the trust of the electorate in the voting process.

 

The Situation Room also notes and condemns in the strongest terms the leading role played by prominent public political officeholders and other politicians as well as some INEC officials in encouraging and actively taking part in organized misconduct and disorderlybehaviour that violated the sanctity of the electoral process and calls that action be taken to investigate their activities with a view to prosecuting and sanctioning them, if found culpable, under the law.

 

In addition, Situation Room is concerned about the weak oversight powers of the national headquarters of INEC over Resident Electoral Commissioners and State INEC offices in the management and conduct of elections. This makes it easy for compromised RECs and other State level INEC officers to undermine the credibility of the election sometimes with reckless impunity.

 

The Situation Room congratulates the Nigerian electorate for the collective determination to further improve our elections by turning out in their numbers to exercise their all-important franchise, thus proving themselves to be the real winners of these elections.

 

We further appeal to Nigerians to remain vigilant and protective of their democratic rights and feel free to cast their votes at every election.

 

Rivers State of Nigeria Independent Election Observers Monitoring Report

INDEPENDENT ELECTION MONITORING GROUP (IEMG)

 

 

 

PORT HARCOURT  – April 12, 2015

 

INTERIM REPORT ON OBSERVATION OF THE GOVERNORSHIP AND STATE ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS THAT HELD ON SATURDAY 11 APRIL 2015

 

Background

The Independent Election Monitoring Group (IEMG) observed the  2015 Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday 11 April 2015.

 

IEMG  deployed INEC accredited observers across the local government areas of Rivers state to observe the elections and also tracked the conduct of security agencies deployed to manage the electoral environment during the process. IEMG also  monitored trends on social media. IEMG shared its on the spot field observations  with such networks as the Nigeria Civil Society Election Situation Room, Reclaimniga etc. Observers sent in real time field reports using a specific checklist for tracking compliance with electoral guidelines, and impunity. This preliminary report presents the findings with regards to the accreditation exercise, election security and the use of Card Readers.

 

 

From the reports received thus far from our field observers, we present the following interim report.

 

 

Preliminary Findings

 

1 Arrival of INEC staff

Across the state, INEC officials were reported to had arrived late in most of the  polling units across the local governments of the state. Our observation and tracking show that none of the INEC staff arrived before 9am while most  arrived between 10 and 1pm. This also include INEC materials.  There were  incidents of very late or non-arrival of INEC staff and materials in some polling units. For instance, by 12 noon INEC materials and adhoc staff had not left its RAC at the Primary School 1, Eneka covering Eneka/Rukpokwu Ward 14 in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

 

2.  Commencement of Accreditation

Our observers and information from social media tracking indicate that accreditation did not commence on time where it actually happened. In most places it did not happen as materials never arrived, or when they arrived, were carted away to unknown destinations by unknown gun carrying thugs, oftentimes  in company of uniformed security personnel. 

 

3 . Security presence

Security was a very serious concern  throughout the process in Rivers state. Although generally most polling stations reportedly had security presence, there are reports that security was either absent or insufficient in a number of places. There are documented reports of killings across the state. Violence, intimidation, harassment of voters/observers and disruption and carting away of voting materials were rife across the state. As a direct result, actual voting never took place in most units and wards and local governments in the state. The following examples are very instructive:

 

·      Shooting reigned in Ikuru Town in Andoni Local government area unmolested, home place of the Deputy governor of Rivers state, who recently defected back to the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP). Voters as a direct result were scared of turning up and that enabled the shooters to have a field day with INEC materials without any let or hindrance.

·      5 men in fake military uniform were arrested while they took charge in the handling of INEC material and handed over to the Kpor Police in Gokhana LGA.

·      Police personnel shot dead in the Rex Lawson Area of Borokiri in the Port Harcourt township, Port Harcourt local government area.

·      3 persons were killed in Omagwa and several others sustained serious injuries. Omagwa is in Ikwerre Local government Area.

·      Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local government area witnessed violence and killings.

·      Fatal stabbing was recorded at Ward 15, Unit 10 of Khana Local Government Area. One Gbogbo Eric.

·      Assistant Inspector General of Police was forced out of the state following orders from the Presidency, because he disciplined a police divisional officer who allegedly procured INEC election result sheets for illicit distribution. The junior police officer was restored to his post at Buguma, while the AIG deployed to Rivers state to take charge of security for the elections was forced back to Calabar on the morning of the election. This no doubt facilitated the degeneration of insecurity throughout the state.

·      Citizens were killed and beheaded , houses burnt and properties destroyed. Mrs Joeba West, a Commissioner in the state suffered this fate.

·      INEC material meant for Abonnema Local Government Area was hijacked and made away with by political thugs.

 

4 .  Disruption of accreditation

 

Generally the accreditation process did not go on smoothly in majority of the units observed, while in some places it went on smoothly. Political thugs were responsible for the major disruptions witnessed. And most of these took place in the presence of security personnel, who looked either helpless or uninterested. Incomplete materials were also  cause for concern and created tension that aided disruption, violence and killings. These cases were not insolated.

·      INEC material was hijacked in Buguma, the Asari Toru Local government area. In same place, the INEC building was torched, material burnt, including vehicles. Accreditation did not happen because the material were not available. No election happened either, but violence made the round and deaths recorded.

·      In Okirika, material was hijacked and privatized by militiamen. They determined who voted under the nose of security personnel. They decided to abandon the card reader for manual accreditation contrary to INEC regulation/instruction/guideline for the election. The INEC adhoc staff neither had voice nor power, therefore, followed contrary orders.

·      APC party agents in all 5 polling units in Kalio-Ama (Ward 9), Okrika were abducted from their units by unknown gun men, while policemen on duty watched helplessly. Spirited efforts were made by other APC persons to trace, locate and release them from where they were being held. It was alleged that their captors were PDP militants. By the time they were restored to their duty posts, electoral materials had been hijacked and taken away by political thugs.

 

·      There was no security presence in Ward 7, Okrika, yet  some politicians in the area were   patrolling openly and with police escourt.

·      The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Rumuepirikom Police Station,  in Obio/Akpor LGA of Rivers State  early aided the movement of INEC election materials at the RAC covering Wards 12 and 13 in Obio/Akpor LGA, situated at Ola-Nu-da Model Primary School, opposite the Rivers State College of Arts and Science, Port Harcourt. She (DPO) escorted a Passat wagon car into the RAC and carted away the original materials, shooting and chasing away APC agents. This experience was witnessed in a number of places including Ward 14, Rukpokwu/Eneka, in Obio/Akpor LGA.

 

 

Contrary to the guideline by the Inspector General of Police that police officials should stay away from their political masters during the election, Dr. Tamuno Danagogo, Minister of Sports was seen in  his  Abonnema, Akuku Toru local Government area,  in company with security agents, as he moved around the town.

 

INEC electoral materials in Akuku Toru Wards 15, 16 and 17 were hijacked at gun point. The attackers were led by two notorious cultists who were identified as Hope Dan Opusungi and Kenneth Dan Opusungi. Having seized the materials, the armed men barred polling agents of other political parties from escorting the materials to the distribution centre. The two Opusungis’, were alleged to be card-carrying members of the PDP.

·      In Obio/Akpor LGA, Ward 14, it was a PDP crested bus that took the INEC material from its Eneka Primary School 1 RAC. The police had to shoot in the air and threw teargas to disperse other party agents before leaving the RAC in company of PDP personnel.

·       Shocking cases of cold blooded killings and beheading ,  obstruction of votes , arson , voters intimidation , ballot snatching , missing result sheet , presenting of fake ballot papers , multiple thumb printing , campaigning’s at polling unit , compromise of ad-hoc staffs,  absence of level playing environment ,violence against media personnel and impunity were witnessed in different magnitude across the length and breath of the state. These acts were brazen.

 

5 . Card Reader related issues

 

In a number of places the card reader was used and it functioned well. In others it was abandoned for manual accreditation, contrary to the rule of INEC and this facilitated irregular thumb-printing/massive rigging. In majority of places where election did not hold by reason of violence, the Cared Reader was not tested, or outrightly  gutted by the inferno that ensued in such places as Buguma etal.  It is noteworthy, going into the elections, INEC restated that Card Readers will be used and where there were problems, voting will be done the following day.

 

 

 

 

Preliminary Recommendations:

 

1.  INEC should examine thoroughly the role of its Electoral Officers and adhoc staff to determine whether some of their behaviours were deliberate or informed by the unimaginable level of intimidation, violence and criminality that ensued. This is absolutely necessary because it was observed that in most instances politicians and security officials controlled events at polling units, whereas INEC trained personnel remained subservient, sometimes scared.

 

2.  Security agencies failed to effectively protect voters and the votes, making it absolutely difficult for votes to count in most units in the state. Security should have been boosted following the experiences encountered during the Presidential and National Assembly elections. The motive behind the redeployment of the AIG Zone 6 should be thoroughly examined and check its consequences in view of degeneration of insecurity throughout the state.

 

3.           INEC should ensure adequate preparations are made for ballots to casted in secret, the manner of  counting of ballots and collation of results should be improved. Obswrvers noted that the cubicles were not present, therefore votes were casted openly and dangerously. Political interference in voting were also noticed by reason of the openness. They should also reach out to political parties to educate  them further, that it is the rule of law rather than the rule of the thumb that determines electoral outcome, if only to stem the climate of intimidation and human slaughter.

 

The mini war situation in Rivers state in the name of electoral process is most troubling and must not be allowed to continue. This denied voters the expression of their will. What was observed in the state cannot be said in any reasonable manner to be a near triumph to democracy, or an improvement on what this INEC has set out to do with the electoral process in Nigeria. It is rather a coup d’etat against the will of the voting public in the state.

 

What shows quite clearly in the Rivers state event, rather than a process, is that enemies of democracy continue to discover a whole armory of technology that enables them to retain power despite the huge investment, human energy and voter’s efforts put in place to hold elections aimed at making the votes to count. The name of that technology in this particular situation is impunity.

 

An election as set out by this INEC should confer legitimacy upon the victor, and the need to secure votes should  ensure that the victor reached out to be inclusive. To accept this charade in the name of free, fair and credible election by whatever standard would amount to the denial of an increasingly evident reality.

 

The governorship and house of assemblies elections in Rivers state reminds that war has not yet passed into history. Observers witnessed battle related deaths, maiming for politicians to achieve their goal of attaining power. Those whose constitutional responsibility it is to defend citizens from organized violence were the ones perpetrating it against the citizens. This election showed quite clearly that extreme violence in the case of Rivers state is the preferred route to political power.

 

 

 It is important therefore, not to reward extreme violence as clearly and evidentially represented in the case of Rivers state. Cancelling and specially rescheduling the Rivers state election is the panacea for the present and recurring habit of killing, breaking of fundamental rules for power, is recommended. Democracy and its deepening will be better for it. Based on observers field reports, there is no way the likely  usual allocation of non-existent figures that  will definitely surface in the name of winning and losing the election in the state, represent the will of the voters of the state. We strongly urge INEC not to deny the reality in Rivers state regarding this particular elections, and protect the future of democracy and livelihood of citizens in an accountable manner.

 

Signed:

Esther Achor, esq.

For : Independent Election Monitoring Group (IEMG), South-South Zone

 

GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI OF THE ALL PROGRESSIVE PARTY (APC) EMERGES WINNER OF THE 2015 NIGERIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

By Roseline Oghnebrumeh

The former military ruler General Muhammadu Buhari born on the 17^th December 1942 has become the first opposition candidate to win a presidential election in Nigeria.  The election held on the 28^th of March 2015 in the 36 states of the Nigeria including the FCT involving 14 political parties despite the hitches from card readers, late arrival of INEC officials at polling units, NURTW etc.

The announcement was made by the Chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega on the 31^st of March 2015 after the completion of the collation and announcement of results from across Nigeria which started at the collation center in the FCT on Monday March 30^th and ended on Tuesday March 31^st 2015. He declared the APC candidate as the winner of the presidential election having satisfied the requirements of the law and scoring the highest number of votes.

General Muhammadu Buhari having contested for the third time (in 2003, 2007 and 2011) beat incumbent Goodluck Jonathan by more than 2.5million votes as shown from the final results. He got the highest number of votes in 21states while President Goodluck Jonathan won 15states and the FCT. The victory is highly significant in Nigeria as never in the history of Nigeria has a sitting president been defeated in an election and also it is the second time since 1999 that a retired military officer would become the president of Nigeria.

The APC candidate won in Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara while the PDP candidate prevailed in Rivers, Plateau, Taraba, Nasarawa, Imo, Enugu, Ekiti, Edo, Delta, Ebonyi, Cross River, Bayelsa, Anambra, Akwa-ibom, Abia and the FCT.

General Muhammadu Buhari for the first time won states outside the northern region in Nigeria. He won all the states in the South-west except Ekiti.

Table showing states, political parties and winner.

S/N	STATE	APC	PDP	WINNER
1	EKITI	120,331	176,466	PDP
2	OGUN	308,290	207,950	APC
3	ENUGU	14,157	553,003	PDP
4	KOGI	264,851	149,987	APC
5	OSUN	383,603	249,929	APC
6	ONDO	299,889	251,368	APC
7	FCT	146,399	157,195	PDP
8	OYO	528,620	303,376	APC
9	NASARAWA	236,838	273,640	PDP
10	KANO	1,903,999	215,779	APC
11	JIGAWA	885,988	142,904	APC
12	KATSINA	1,345,441	98,937	APC
13	KWARA	302,146	132,602	APC
14	KADUNA	1,127,760	484,085	APC
15	ANAMBRA	17,926	660,762	PDP
16	ABIA	13,394	368,303	PDP
17	AKWA-IBOM	58,411	953,304	PDP
18	IMO	133,253	559,185	PDP
19	PLATEAU	429,140	549,615	PDP
20	EBONYI	19,518	323,653	PDP
21	NIGER	657,678	149,222	APC
22	LAGOS	792,460	632,327	APC
23	BAYELSA	5,194	361,209	PDP
24	GOMBE	361,245	96,873	APC
25	CROSS RIVERS	28,368	414,863	PDP
26	RIVERS	69,238	1,487,075	PDP
27	ADAMAWA	374,701	251,664	APC
28	ZAMFARA	612,202	144,833	APC
29	KEBBI	567,883	100,972	APC
30	BENUE	373,961	303,737	APC
31	BAUCHI	931,598	86,085	APC
32	YOBE	446,265	25,526	APC
33	EDO	208,469	286,869	PDP
34	TARABA	261,326	310,800	PDP
35	SOKOTO	671,926	152,199	APC
36	DELTA	48,910	1,211,405	PDP
37	BORNO	473,543	25,640	APC

 

From the Table, the APC candidate pulled a total of 15,424,921 votes to defeat the PDP candidate who got 12,853,162 votes.

 

ABUJA ACCORD: TOWARDS A PEACEFUL ELECTIONS 2015

By ELVIS-WURA TOWOLAWI

Election is an indispensable factor that validates democracy and when considered free and fair – confers legitimacy on elected leaders in democracies. Yet, elections tend to be tense and violent in politically volatile societies such as Nigeria. This, of course can be attributed to the way the political gamers play the game. Most of them bent on power view the whole transition process as a ‘win or die’ affair which invariably fans the flame of irregularities, violence, and all what not in a blooming democracy as ours; especially in a sharply polarized nation.

Hence, in a timeous move to avert a disastrous electioneering outing come February 2015, a Peace Pact was signed by 14 presidential candidates at a 2015 General Elections Sensitization workshop on Non-violence in Abuja organized by the offices of the National Security Adviser and the Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Affairs, on Wednesday, 14 January, 2015. The heart of this piece is to examine the peace pact and its potential on quelling simmering election motivated violence; as well as the way out of the mire of electoral violence. 2015 is indeed a milestone for Nigeria’s democracy!

Fundamentally, the peace bond christened Abuja Declaration Accord was read by Emeka Anyaoku, former Commonwealth Secretary-General, who chaired the occasion. It was adopted first through acclamation and then signed by all candidates present. For purpose of clarity, the Accord binds the candidates to the following covenants:
i) To run issue-based campaigns at all level, shorn and devoid of religious incitement and ethnic or tribal profiting.
ii) To avoid making inflammatory or inciting statements and declarations capable of stoking the fire of violence and unrest before, during or after the election.
iii) To denounce publicly provocative utterances and oppose all acts of electoral violence whether perpetrated by supporters and/or opponents.
iv) To commit themselves and their parties to the monitoring of the adherence to the accord if necessary, by a national peace committee composed of respected statesmen and women, traditional and religious leaders.
v) All the institutions of the government including INEC and security agencies must act and been seen to act with impartiality…

However, we all know that men; nay, politicians are loath to keep agreement which may impinge on their perceived interest of grabbing power. Thus, it is supreme that we wield a “big stick” to keep these politicians in line in order to guarantee a peaceful transition. It’s vital that our electoral laws be strengthened to deal with electoral violence as a strictly criminal issue deserving the full weight of the law.

More so, nothing fuels electoral violence as base, sentimental campaign dimensioned on primitive and primordial inclinations with no bearing on agenda, ideology, peoples’ welfare, governance, and development. Our politicians must shun puerile mudslinging and needless character assassination to further political agenda.

Also, there is the need to emphasize the neutrality of INEC and security agencies to avoid an imputation of partiality which may lead to violence. And yes, rigging induces electoral violence; for the people will feel cheated, deceived, and robbed of their power – so they may erupt in violent retaliation.

Further, let our foot soldiers: youth purposefully escape from being pawns in the chessboard of the game. Can’t they see the politicians hugging themselves? Why should you die for someone who may not even return your calls when it’s over? I say no more.

 

Link to Getting your Permanent Voters Card

 Still without a voters card? as the elections approaches, try the below link

http://voters.inecnigeria.org/static/lgas/

 

A Communiqué Issued at the end of a One-Day National Stakeholders Conference on Status of the Continuous Voter Registratio

 

CENTRE FOR CIVIC EDUCATION

(a.k.a Transition Monitoring Group)

‘A Coalition of Human Rights & Civil Society Organizations’

 

A Communiqué Issued at the end of a One-Day National Stakeholders Conference on Status of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) by Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday, February 6, 2014 at Rockview Hotel (Royale), Wuse II Abuja

Preamble
As part of the on-going efforts to reform Nigeria’s electoral processes and institutions ahead of the 2015 general elections, the Transition Monitory Group ( TMG ) organized a one-day ‘National Stakeholders conference on the Status of the Continuous Voter Registration’ at Rockview Hotel (Royale), Wuse II, Abuja.  The conference was supported by the Democratic Governance for Development (DGD) of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Over 200 participants drawn from the international community, Faith Based Organizations, Women and Youth Groups, Media, Political Parties, People with Disabilities (PWDs) Security Agencies and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) attended the event. Amongst the participants  were representatives of European Union (EU), UK Department for International Development (UKAID), Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), Konrad–Adenauer Stiftung, MacArthur Foundation and Frederick Ebert Stiftung  (FEF)

Dignitaries that graced  the conference includes representative of the INEC Chair, Prof. Attahiru Jega, Hajia Amina B. Zakari, INEC National Commissioner in charge of Political Party Monitoring, Dr. Hussani Abdu, Country Director of Actionaid, Nigeria who also made a key note presentation on ‘continuous voter registration (CVR) vis-à-vis the place of citizen in the democratic process’, while Catherine Weiss, representative of DFID presented goodwill message on behalf of the Joint Donor Basket Fund (JDBF). Other dignitaries at the conference are Dr. Moutarda Deme (Project Director UNDP/DGD), representative of the European Delegation, Ms Laolu Olawumi, Mr. Edetean Ojo (Executive Director Media Right Agenda), and Mr. Festus Okoye (Human Rights Monitor).

Participants extensively discussed the implications of going into the 2015 elections with the integrity of Voters Register in doubt. They also made specific recommendations to strengthen the electoral process and help make the 2015 general elections a significant improvement over the elections of 2011 and the staggered governorship elections that followed.

Participants commended the organizers for the timeliness of the National Stakeholders Conference on CVR, noting that an opportunity still exists for INEC to carry out nationwide voters’ audit as well as continuous voter registration ahead of 2015 general election.  They commended INEC for the timely release of the 2015 general election time-table to enable stakeholders prepare well for the election.

Observations

Participants made the following observations:

• The success or otherwise of elections hinges largely on the integrity of the voters register ahead of elections in Nigeria

• There are still concerns with the legal and administrative frameworks for the conduct of elections in Nigeria.

• Since 1998, Nigerians have not voted with permanent voters’ card.

• It is apparent from INEC’s proposition that the CVR exercise is going to be seasonal voter registration rather than being continuous as prescribed by law.

• The timeframe of the CVR exercise should be flexible enough for people to register with ease.

• Political parties need to put up a serious enlightenment programmes on the CVR by making sure that members are aware of the exercise.

Recommendations:

After exhaustive deliberations, participants made the following recommendations:

1. Election stakeholders’ including members of the National and State Assemblies and Executives adopt, pass and assent to the recommendations contained in the electoral reform proposals presented to the National Assembly.
2. There should be effective engagement between INEC and other critical stakeholders, including political parties, media and civil society organizations, in order to build synergies that strengthen Nigeria’s electoral processes.
3. That a strong enforcement mechanism be put in place to ensure that all the stakeholders in the electoral process who do not play by the rule are sufficiently sanctioned.
4. There is need for INEC to consider engaging services of volunteers who must be subjected to proper scrutiny before their involvement in the process. There is need for INEC and relevant stakeholders to undertake extensive and continuous civic/voter education initiatives to deepen the understanding of electoral process, rights and obligation of the electorate.
5. That more wards/registration units are created due to the growing population in most wards.
6. Need for transparency on the access to the voter list in every polling unit in the nation by all stakeholders.
7. INEC should conduct periodic review of voters register on specific dates of the month at the LGA headquarters in collaboration with National Population Commission, National Identity Management Commission and Security Agencies.
8. INEC should provide clarifications on its communication strategies ahead of 2015 election.
9. INEC should create possibility for remote access to the voter register.
10. It is necessary for peoples with disabilities (PWDs) – friendly items to go into registration forms of voters.
11. TMG should establish a civic institute for the training of persons interested in conducting civic education at the grassroots.

Conclusion

Finally, TMG and the stakeholders constituted a Continuous Voter Registration Implementation Monitoring Committee and also appreciate the financial support given by the Democratic Governance for Democracy (DGD) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

 

 Signed:

ALL Stakeholders in attendance

 

 

Anambra Supplementary Poll: Voter turnout ‘as low as 5 per cent’ in several polling units

Ben Ezeamalu

The Nigeria Civil Society Election Situation Room monitored the supplementary election.

The just concluded supplementary election in Anambra State was characterized by a very low voters’ turnout, the Nigeria Civil Society Election Situation Room, an election monitoring group, has said.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Sunday, declared Willie Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, the winner of the supplementary gubernatorial election in the state.

Mr. Obiano polled 180,178 votes to emerge winner, followed by Tony Nwoye of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, with 97,700 votes; and Chris Ngige of the All Progressives Congress, APC, with 95,963 votes.

In a statement on Sunday, the Situation Room, an INEC-accredited election monitor, noted that although the election was peaceful and electoral materials were distributed in a timely manner, there was very low voter turnout.

In several polling units across the 16 local governments where the election was held, turnout was as low as five per cent, the group noted.

“Reports received by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room from our field observers indicate a low voter turnout,” the group said.

“For instance in Ifite Agbaja PU 022, Idemili North L.G.A, 980 voters were registered but only 64 voters got accredited and 59 people voted.

“Also in Chukwura Primary School l PU 006, 382 voters were registered and only 24 were accredited.

“In Inland town PU 007,Onitsha North L.G.A, 484 voters were registered and only 34 were accredited. Furthermore, in Okija Hall l and ll Onitsha South LGA, total registered voters are 818 and 784 while accredited voters were 120 and 84 respectively,” the group said.

The group also noted that election officials were deployed in sufficient numbers to the polling units.

“However in Chukwura Primary School l and School ll PU 006 and 007 and in most polling units, we received reports that chairs and tables were not provided by INEC for Election officials.

“Our observers noted heavy deployment of security agents in sufficient numbers in most polling units, and that these officers and men conducted themselves in a professional and commendable manner,” the group also said.

“The election was peaceful, but voter turnout was very low, as low as 5% in several of the polling units that Situation Room observed.

“With only a few polling units set to vote today, it is understandable why the usual problems of logistics was limited in today’s poll,” the group added.

Though the group did not state the reason for the low turnout, observers believe it was because of the decision of the major opposition candidates to boycott the election.

The APC, Labour Party, and PDP candidate, Tony Nwoye, boycotted the supplementary election and asked their supporters to do same. They demanded the total cancellation of the November 16 poll

 

 

Post Anambra Gubernatorial Election, by the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG)

…..Response to the latest developments which  warranted INEC to declare the elections inconclusive and then the prospects fore a supplementary elections in Anambra State.

TMG Pre-Election Findings

Elections are more than just Election Day, and TMG has been observing the entire process

for the Anambra Gubernatorial Election.

TMG’s main findings related to the pre-election period include:

1. The judiciary speedily resolved electoral petitions, but the spate of litigation over

Party Primaries is a worrying sign.

2. INEC’s decision to release the voter’s register to political parties in electronic

format was a very positive improvement. In the future, the voter’s register should

also be made available to civic organisations.

3. INEC should also publish the results of the election by polling unit.

4. An encouraging development was the holding of candidate debates as it served

as an opportunity to make the election more substantive and issue-based.

However, it did not appear that all 23 gubernatorial candidates engaged in

serious campaigning.

5. There were widespread allegations of the buying up of voter cards by politicians.

TMG Post-Election Findings

TMG wishes to state as regards the November 16, 2013 Anambra Governorship Polls, based

on reports from our citizen observers, which they sent in via coded text message using

mobile phones, that while many elements of the Election Day process were adequate, there

were serious shortcomings, including:

1. Late arrival of election materials at polling units – as of 7:30am, observers

reported that only 39% of polling units across the state had their election materials

and by 9am only 43% of polling units were able to open; When materials finally

arrived, at 58% of polling units observers reported two polling officials; at 38% of

polling units three or more polling officials were present; while at just 4% of polling

units there was only one polling official present.

2. The widespread late delivery of election materials delayed the start of

accreditation of voters across the state.

3. Simultaneous accreditation and voting (i.e. individuals being allowed to accredit and

vote after accreditation had closed) created the possibility of illegal voting – at 28%

of polling units 50 or more people were accredited during voting.

4. No elections in five wards of Idemili North LGA – Abatete, Nkpor I, Nkpor II,

Obosi and Ogidi I. Observers at all 14 sampled polling stations in these wards

reported no election;

5. Individuals with voter’s cards were refused accreditation – at 19% of polling units,

between 6 and 25 people with voter’s cards were denied accreditation, for whatever

reason and could not vote; Simultaneous accreditation and voting (i.e. individuals

being allowed to accredit and vote after accreditation had closed) created the

possibility of illegal voting – at 28% of polling units, 50 or more people were

accredited during voting; and

6. A significant number of voters who left polling units after accreditation did not

return to vote – at 31% of polling units, the number of accredited voters exceeded

the number of actual voters by more than 10%.

7. At 52% of polling units, observers reported four or more political party agents; at

39% of polling units, there were one to three political party agents present, while 9%

of polling units had no agents from any party present.

Methodology

TMG as a member of the Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM), as well

as the West African of Election Observer Network (WAEON) conducts all of its citizen

observation efforts in accordance with the “Declaration of Global Principles for Nonpartisan

Election Observation and Monitoring by Citizen Organisations.”

TMG’s innovative Quick Count observation effort is intended to help promote credible

elections in Nigeria that are conducted in accordance with international and regional

standards as well as the laws of our country by providing real time independent nonpartisan

information on the conduct of Election Day processes – setup of polling units,

accreditation of voters, voting and counting.

The Quick Count methodology involves deploying trained and accredited citizen observers

in pairs to a representative random sample of polling units carefully selected by a trained

statistician. Because reports are received from a representative sample of polling units, the

findings can be extrapolated to all polling units (even those which TMG did not deploy

observers) based on long-established statistical principles. Thus, the findings from the Quick

Count hold for all 4,608 polling units in Anambra. The Quick Count methodology is the gold

standard in citizen observation.

TMG’s Quick Count also takes advantage of the latest developments in information and

communication technologies (ICTs). TMG has established a National Information Centre

(NIC) in Abuja with a sophisticated database and text messaging system. To ensure real time

information, TMG observers submit their reports via coded text messages using their

mobile phones. Reports are received directly into a database and processed.

Deployment of Observers

TMG deployed a total of 633 observers for the Anambra Gubernatorial Election. Of these,

33 were mobile supervisors who moved around the state and 600 were stationary assigned

to specific polling units. TMG stationary observers sent in more than 3,000 text messages

with over 20,000 individual pieces of information about the conduct of the Election Day

process. Stationary observers were deployed in pairs to a representative random sample of

300 polling units across all three senatorial districts and all 21 local government areas

(LGAs). To ensure the representativeness of the sample, it was stratified by senatorial

district and LGA. This means that the proportion of sampled polling units closely matches

the proportion of all polling units in each senatorial district and in each LGA. For example

Anambra North has 30.2% percent of all polling units (1,391 of 4,608) and 30.0% percent of

the sampled polling stations are in Anambra North (180 of 300). Appendix 1 provides a

detailed breakdown of the sampled polling stations by senatorial district and LGA.

TMG conducted two rounds of training workshops for LGA supervisors as well as 29 training

workshops for observers. All observers were accredited with INEC. On the morning of

Election Day, there were isolated incidents of TMG observers not being permitted to

observe, but all of these issues were ultimately resolved.

In response to the INEC decision to extend a second day of voting in Obosi ward in Idemili

North LGA, TMG deployed 28 citizen observers on Sunday to observe the process in the

initially sampled polling units. According to reports from TMG citizen observers on Saturday,

there were similar problems of no elections taking place in Abatete, Nkpor I, Nkpor II and

Ogidi I wards, which are also in Idemili North LGA, as well two polling units in Ogbaru LGA.

TMG as the premier citizen observer network in the country comprising over 400 civic

organizations has observed all elections since the end of military rule in 1998/99.

For the Anambra Gubernatorial Election TMG employed the advanced Quick Count

methodology, the gold standard for election observation, TMG’s citizen observers were

deployed to a representative random sample of 300 polling stations located across every

senatorial district and all 21 local government areas (LGAs). Thus, TMG observers were in

every corner of the state, from the capital Awka to the most remote riverine areas. On

Sunday as we have noted earlier, TMG redeployed 28 observers for the second day of

voting in Idemili North. Throughout the day TMG’s citizen observers sent their observation

reports via coded text message using mobile phones directly into a computer database

located at a National Information Centre (NIC) in Abuja. In total, they sent in more than

3,000 text messages containing more than 20,000 individual pieces of information about

Election Day processes, as well as the official results as announced by INEC official at polling

units.

INEC Declaration on Anambra Election

While the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) should be acknowledged for

providing an opportunity for election to be conducted in Obosi Ward of Idemili North LGA

on Sunday, November 17, 2013, TMG wonders why the remaining Wards of Abatete, Nkpor

1, Nkpor II, and Ogidi 1 Wards, as well as two polling units in Ogbaru LGA which have similar

problems of no election were not taken into consideration. We must note that these

shortcomings undermine public confidence in the electoral process – especially since many

of these issues are not new and have plagued past elections.

Conclusion

TMG salutes INEC’s courage to accept responsibility for failure of their official, whom they

claimed was working for outside interest; and whom they say has been handed over to the

police for investigation. We challenge INEC, the Security Agencies and the Federal

Government to expose the outside interest. But that is however not enough; INEC must be

move beyond that; the identity of the alleged collaborators and those they are working with

must be exposed. Anambrarians and indeed the Nigerian people deserve to know this.

The Anambra Gubernatorial Election is not yet over. As you are already aware, the election

has been declared inconclusive following the cancellation of the votes in some areas. That

cancellation according to INEC affected 113, 113 votes which also led to the inability of a

clear winner to emerge. For that reason a supplementary election is to be held in all the

said areas. As a result, TMG will continue to observe the unfolding process as INEC makes

public the arrangement for the supplementary elections. TMG calls on all the people of

Anambra State to remain calm as they await INEC’s announcement of results. TMG will

continue to observe the process, and as appropriate issue additional statements and

reports. As part of the Quick Count, TMG will provide independent verification of the official

results as announced by INEC to enhance the transparency and accountability of the

process.

TMG insists that for the 2015 elections to be credible INEC must work in partnership with

political parties, civic organizations, and government bodies to find practical solutions to

chronic problems plaguing our elections. To this end, TMG stands ready to work with INEC

and other partners to help ensure the 2015 Elections meet the expectations of the Nigerian

people”

Comrade Zikirilluhi M. Ibrahim

Chairman

For Enquiries, contact

Comrade Eneruvie Enakoko

TMG Media Centre

08033188864, 08094648891