The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a few days’ time will conduct the all-important 2023 general elections. The hope and aspiration of over 200million Nigerians rest on INEC to do the right thing and conduct free and fair elections that will satisfy the winners and losers. The INEC is expected to carry out its functions independently and free from external influence.
INEC is also expected to display openness and transparency in all its activities and in its relationship with all stakeholders. Truthfulness and honesty are expected in all the dealings of the electoral umpire.
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Also expected in the affairs of the INEC are credibility and impartiality.
With equity and excellence being part of its core values, the INEC is expected to deliver quality electoral services efficiently and effectively, guided by best international practice and standards. Like Caesar’s wife INEC must be above suspicion.
However, INEC impartiality was called to question when the electoral body overreached itself by liking a partisan twit that was critical of the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi.
Recently, the official verified INEC Twitter handle liked a post against Obi on the micro-blogging site. The post was coming days to Nigeria’s presidential election and Obi is one of the major contenders.
The post was made by a news media outlet where Seun Kuti, son of legendary Nigerian music icon, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, said the LP candidate was “an opportunist that can’t deliver Nigeria.” Seun has been very open about his stance on Obi’s presidential ambition and in an interview with the online platform Mic On Podcast hosted by Channels TV’s Seun Okinbaloye, Mr Kuti noted that only the people of Nigeria could save the country.
Describing Obi as a capitalist he said, “He hasn’t had the time because he started too late. You can’t be telling me that just because you lost PDP primaries 18 months before the election, you suddenly started a movement, and you have a plan for the country.
“No, that’s opportunism. And it’s not an opportunist that will deliver Nigeria—not jumping on Labour Party. The Labour Party has a socialist structure. Peter Obi is a capitalist. Where are they going?”
Following the criticisms that trailed that unconscionable action of INEC, the electoral body clarified that it does not have preference for any candidate or political party.
It wrote, “The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been drawn to a post on its Twitter handle, liking a post relating to one of the 18 Presidential candidates.
“The Commission is an independent electoral body and does not have preference for any candidate or political party. The Commission assures all Nigerians of its neutrality and will conduct a general election that is free and fair to all. The allegiance of the Commission is to the people of Nigeria.
“In the meantime, the Commission is investigating the circumstances that led to the liking of the said post and will take appropriate disciplinary actions if an infraction is established.”
While INEC claims to be impartial and that it does not have a preferential presidential candidate or political party, its actions tend to send a different signal to Nigerians. Besides the ill-advised liking of Twit against Peter Obi of Labour Party (LP) there is growing concern about INEC neutrality in Lagos. The resident electoral commissioner for Lagos State has openly displayed his partiality on television and INEC has not yet sacked him since his presence is going to call to question the results that would be produced in Lagos under his supervision.
Already, leaders of some Christian organisations in Lagos State have called for the removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state. The group, Leaders After God’s Own Spirit Initiating A New State, wants the REC Segun Agbaje removed immediately over a recent comment he made during a live TV interview on Channels.
The REC was quoted to have given reasons why people in Okota, Oshodi Local Government Areas, cannot get their Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs and inferred that the Igbos in the area were immigrants. In a statement signed by Dr. Bolaji O Akinyemi titled: “Conspiracy against Democracy: INEC REC; Segun Agbaje’s Outburst, Other Matters Arising,” the group accused the INEC REC of being complicit in a plan to disenfranchise Igbos in Lagos.
“In a reckless political communication known only with thugs, he made it clear that the reason they cannot have their PVC is that many of them are from the South East part of the country, inferring that they are immigrants,” the group said.
The group also alleged that there is fear in Lagos about a possible repeat of the inconclusive election as it happened in the Osun 2018 governorship election while Agbaje was the INEC REC at the time before his redeployment to Lagos.
“One could possibly have overlooked his transfer to Lagos as an internal issue to which the commission has the right but not after his uncharitable comment about Igbos in Lagos. On moral grounds, Segun Agbaje should by now be on his way out of INEC without a petition or protest. Agbaje is a stigma on the integrity of the Mahmood Yakubu-led INEC. INEC Chairman can’t keep a tribal bigot and nepotistic personality in his system and keep the integrity of his organization,” the statement read. The group asked LAGOSIANS to rise against what it called injustice meted against the Igbos in Lagos.
The statement said: “The only protest acceptable for now is Segun Agbaje must go! Our only hope for a better and greater future is the grand national protest scheduled for the 25th of February 2023! Our placards being our PVCs, anything that will compromise the system to oversee a free and fair election must be gotten rid of.
“Agbaje has done it before and by his comment on the Igbos, the signs are obvious of what he is capable of. If Igbo will vote in Lagos, and their votes will count like that of every other tribe, then Agbaje must not remain INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos state,” it added.
We condemn the irresponsible action of INEC Twitter handler that liked a post critical of Peter Obi which has called its impartiality to question. While we hail INEC for rising fast to dislike the said post and promised to investigate the matter, INEC must not take Nigerians for granted by doing nothing about it hoping that Nigerians would soon forget about it. There must be consequences for the indiscretion of INEC Twitter handler or Nigerians would take it that INEC cannot be trusted to conduct free and fair elections on February 25 and March 11, respectively. We also join those calling on INEC to remove the biased resident electoral Commissioner in Lagos State if it wants Nigerians to believe that it wants to conduct free and fair election in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos that may well determine the final outcome of 2023 presidential election.
Meanwhile, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Waziri Atiku Abubakar, has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against using the Lagos State Parks Management Committee led by Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo to distribute sensitive electoral materials and transport election officials on the Election Day. This was stated in a release by Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
Recall that INEC’s National Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, met with the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) recently and agreed to transport election officials and ballot papers to polling units on the Election Day.
Shaibu, on the other hand, noted that Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had banned the NURTW because the union’s national leadership had suspended MC Oluomo, Tinubu’s henchman in the state.
He stated, “It has been brought to our attention that INEC will be using members of the NURTW, RTEAN and other registered unions to transport election materials and electoral officials and corps members on election day. Unfortunately, in Lagos State, there is no NURTW or RTEAN as they have been proscribed by Governor Sanwo-Olu.”
“To preserve the sanctity of this election and ensure that there is no room for electoral malpractice, INEC must ensure that MC Oluomo is not allowed access to ballot papers. INEC should not make use of the state’s park committee. Rather, the commission should reach out to the national leadership of the NURTW and or engage the services of any logistic company for the purpose of distributing sensitive electoral materials in Lagos State,” Shaibu said. We cannot agree more with the position of PDP on this. INEC must not only be impartial; it must be seen to be impartial!