Rafiu Oladotun Odunaye
"Do they know what you know?"
That was the question that was chorused by my colleagues in the lndependent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) some years back, when at a meeting discussing the preparations for an upcoming election, in response to my comment condemning as unnecessary the usual apprehension of some politicians at the approach of every election.
As pointed out by my colleagues, knowledge (knowing what politicians do not know, meaning a lack of required knowledge by them) about elections is the reason for the unnecessary apprehension, usually observed among them, at the approach of every election.
I really do not think there is anything about elections that I know that the politicians are not expected to know, far better.
The knowledge of the election process, politicians, need not be told that it will enhance their capacity to surmount any problem that can stand on their way to electoral victory.
Evidently, there is unpardonable ignorance among them about the election process, not to mention the electoral process.
I always wonder why this should be so when the politicians, candidates, and political parties that are direct beneficiaries of elections, which in a democracy is for leadership recruitment, do not consider it expedient to seek what they lack that would be beneficial to them in pursuit of political power.
In their apprehension, it has become a tradition to trade accusations among themselves of plans to rig elections and to unleash mayhem in the run-up to every election.
However, it is not that election rigging allegations are made for the fun of it, as it is well known by all politicians that rigging is a major strategy for all of them, which is why it always dominates their discussions.
It is an open secret that election rigging is employed as a crucial factor in seeking political power. The political actors themselves have boasted of their capacity to outwit each other on it They even talk about it gleefully in the public without giving consideration to its implications for our fledgling democracy.
Surprisingly, a former governor of Cross River State, Dr. Donald Duke, declared in the public that governors were involved in election rigging.
There was also a high-ranking former public officeholder at the Federal Government level who declared the same thing.
However, the only politician that I knew to be an exception is Chief Olusegun Osoba.
He is averse to it. When he was standing for election as governor, he used to declare at any workshop organised on peaceful election his abhorrence for it. Also whenever he had the opportunity of meeting officials of the election management body, he always made it abundantly clear that he did not wish that anyone rigged election in his favour. His own plea was that no one should allow himself or herself to be used to perpetrate electoral fraud against him.
We should by now, going by the number of years of uninterrupted experiment with democratic governance, know that we have passed the stage in which the allegation of election rigging will attract the sympathy of any Nigerian.
Rather than demonizing it, it is expected of them to know that what is required to do to successfully tackle rigging is thorough knowledge of the electoral process. What to do to prevent or detect electoral fraud is clearly stated in the electoral law and election guidelines, but the politicians, election candidates, and leaders of various political parties are blind to them.
It is not only ridiculous, but it is also an unpardonable error to allow such to continue to happen.
I
If they don't know what to do to prevent or track irregularities so as to gather evidence and seek redress in the election petition tribunal, it is very unfortunate.
The electoral law - the Electoral Act, which had been in use since the return to democracy and even during the transition to democracy - for elections supervised by the military contained provisions to enable all election candidates and contestants to protect their interests. It is sad if any politician would claim ignorance or lack the knowledge of how to combat it.
Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS)
..
However, with the introduction of technological innovation for accreditation - Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) the task of ensuring a credible, free, and fair election is made easier.
Without doubt, BVAS, has come to change the face of election in Nigeria. It is the game changer. It is indeed the new Sheriff in town.
In my excitement at the innovation , when l spoke on it, l declared that the innovation would make Election Thugs Jobless. There is no question about that.
With this innovation, there is no doubt that election malpractices that characterised past elections, such as ballot box snatching, ballot box stuffing, and manipulation of election results, are no longer possible.
Perhaps for a better understanding of the rig proof potential of the innovation, , we need to address our minds to the following highlighted provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.
The mandatory use of BVAS for accreditation—Section 47(2) and that in any polling unit where, not used, the result shall be cancelled. (Section 47(3). There is also Section 51(2) which provides for cancellation of the result of any polling unit, where ballots cast exceed the number of accredited voters.
The political parties fielding candidates in elections have the responsibility to combat election rigging, but this has not been possible due to ineffectiveness and mediocrity displayed by their leaders .
Polling/Party Agents
In every election in Nigeria, the law has made provision for every candidate or the sponsoring political party to appoint agents - one polling agent at every polling unit and one party agent at every collation centre.
Besides, there is provision for agents during the distribution of election materials at every level.
It is disappointing that a very important and crucial aspect of ensuring transparency in elections like this is usually treated with a lackadaisical attitude.
It is usually the situation that when and where those agents were appointed, oftentimes, carelessly handled. The agents do not usually know what they were supposed to do on election day. Most of them usually engage in altercations with agents of other political parties. This was what I personally witnessed for many years.
One cannot but wonder at the abysmal number of agents submitted by a presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections. I marveled and wondered about the seriousness of the candidate and the sponsoring political party in the election.
Rather than ensure that this crucial aspect of the election was given the attention and priority it deserved, they are always concerned with trivial issues such as who is officiating in the election at all levels - and even probing the political parties they have sympathy for , as if, votes of the officials, will determine the winner in the election.
I have said it several times at different fora, and I am very serious about it.
If the law had not precluded a member of a political party and anyone who openly expressed support for an election candidate from officiating in an election as enshrined in Section 27(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 and if a candidate for election is appointed as The Resident Electoral Commissioner ( REC), he cannot help himself, if other contestants do what is required of them, by law, to protect their interests.
Any fraudulent act by him would be challenged, and he will end up in jail.
This had not been possible due to mediocrity in the handling of the issue by the leaders of various political parties, so they (officials) do get away with all sorts of malfeances.
In the folly of many election candidates who lost elections and felt cheated, they headed to the election tribunal to seek redress as provided for by the law. In their own opinion, victory is equated with the number of learned silks hired, rather than evidence gathered meticulously on the field, to be presented before the tribunal for justice.
Even if malpractices were perpetrated, there is the need to present the evidence; otherwise, it would be efforts in futility.
It was therefore not surprising that during trials, in many election petitions, the petitioners counsels usually bring up motions to raise issues that were time-barred, an indication of mediocrity that usually characterises their power game .
Osunbor
In 2008, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, as elected governor of Edo State in the election held on the 14th of April, 2007, was removed despite the fact that his defence counsels, in the election petition, were in the main, learned silks, Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs).
The loss could have been averted if the inexcusable blunder of not tendering all necessary documents had been diligently handled.
After the Tribunal had been told that all documents had been tendered, they came after trial had commenced that they found another bag of ballot papers for Esan Central Local Government Area and Ovia North East Local Government Area.
On this, the Tribunal ruled thus:
"However, in view of the unambiguous and categorical evidence of PW47 quoted above, a whole bag of ballot papers cannot now suddenly surface from the blues." Court of Appeal, Benin judgement as published in The Nation , Friday December 5, 2008.
No doubt the removal is indicative of limitation of legalism in matters of election.
The sentiment expressed by Prof. Osunbor in the interview granted the Vanguard newspaper, as published in the issue of April 4, 2011, that his removal was due to a grand conspiracy in which the arrowhead was a "notoriously dubious politician from Lagos," is far from the truth, in view of the aforementioned blunder.
The political parties and candidates usually claim to have a strategy committee, but in reality, the existence of such committees is not producing any strategy.
The members, due to the knowledge gap, usually operate in ignorance in a manner best described as a tragedy committee.
If not, ask them if they had an ELECTION ACTION PLAN. Did they have programmes to empower every member of the party who had one role or the other to perform during the election in each of the critical activities ?
Were they empowered with the knowledge and understanding of the process and exactly what they were supposed to do for the success of their andidate and political party Was there any template designed based on the rules and regulations for the tracking of election day activities ?
There are usually none. After losing the election, election petition, and appeal, they begin to point accusing fingers at the election management body and the judiciary.
It is shameful.
After failing woefully to do their homework, they must necessarily resort to the blame game. That has become the norm.
We have reached a stage in our democratic journey in that candidates who went into election without adequate preparations shall no longer have such opportunities again, putting an end to winning elections by luck.
As politicians who are imbibing actionable knowledge in seeking political power begin to show up , all those who are manifestly mediocre in their pursuit of political power shall be disgraced out of politics.
Nothing like the application of knowledge. No more mediocrity.
Whenever I remember my escape from planned attack by politicians who wanted to snatch election results from me in respect of an election in which I conducted years ago, I strongly feel that knowledge in everything we do is crucial for success.
When I was about to finish collation, the operative of the Department of State Service (DSS) who was with me, came and told me that as soon as l finished with the declaration of the winner, l should henceforth take instructions from him. I had no option, because tension was very high .
He also gave an instruction, or rather, an advice, "Make sure you pack all your documents and ensure nothing is forgotten "I complied.
When I told him I was ready to set out to the head office of the Commission in Abeokuta, he followed me.
When we got outside the hall to where cars were parked, he just instructed, " Enter this car, " and I did.
As the car was moving towards the gate, the crowd gave way, and the driver drove out of the premises without molestation.
As we were going, I observed there was no truck or any other vehicle conveying policemen, that usually provide security at the collation centre, till final submission at the head office of the Commission.
When I asked him why, he responded, " The police contingent has been trapped in the hall. I have made arrangements for their rescue."
Till we got to the State Office of the Commission, it was the only car that conveyed us without any other.
Till today, all my colleagues then thought the escape was magical. Rather than magical, it was the application of knowledge based on his security training. When he told me the logic and why the steps he took, it was very simple. That was knowledge.
Another incident I am recalling happened in Delta State. The operative of the Department of State Service (DSS) was to be dispossessed of his gun by a man, likely to be a thug but he was smart and dodged the attempt.
As I saw that my life was in danger, I moved swiftly to the man, held him, placed my head on his chest, and started caressing him. That saved the situation. He started saying, "You think I've never seen a gun before?" It is because of this man that I am leaving you."
We did not envisage a situation like that during our training or read anything like that in any book. But application of knowledge saved a bad situation.
Further on the power of application of knowledge.
In the mobilization of support for JAGABAN in the run - up to the presidential election, I was a guest speaker at the forum of a group coordinated by Alhaji (Chief) Jamiu Ekungba
I discovered after listening to them that they were all well grounded in the business of elections.
When it was my turn to talk, I was given just 15 minutes. However, I assured them that I would spend less and that within ten minutes, I will be done with my submission. I kept to my promise.
As I dropped the microphone, I saw joy on the faces of the audience, most especially those on the high table.
As I stepped out of the venue, after taking my excuse, the Editor-in-- Chief of the Sunday edition of a national newspaper followed me and handed me a complimentary card. He there and then assured me that all the issues raised in my presentation were considered germane to the victory of Asiwaju in the February 25 election and that everything would be discussed with him that night.
What is therefore required is that the politicians should wake up from their slumber and to henceforth let their approach to stopping election rigging be by application of actionable knowledge and no more sentiments , no more blame game, and no more lamentations and protests which portray them as unfit to be trusted with political power.
Rafiu Oladotun Odunaye is a retired Directorate Staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) E- mail address: dotra56@gmail.com.
0 Comments