Tinubu's INEC: The prospects and challenges of a free, fair and credible elections in 2027
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Bola Tinubu and
His INEC Chairman |
Elections are a central feature of representatives democracies. For elections to express the will of the electorate, they must be ‘free, fair’ and 'credible'.
Free, fair and credible elections are largely determined by the electoral body. Nigeria's independent National Electoral Commission INEC under Professor Mahmood Yakub or anyone as may be later appointed and their subordinates are the major bane and barriers to credible and acceptable elections in Nigeria. While the INEC neutrality is questionable, judiciary has long seized to be the last hope of anybody but a place of judicial trades for the very few with highest influence and highest bidders. The Nigeria's Judicial Service Commission has sanctioned in the past judges handling Election Petition Tribunals but not now any longer with the level of unhindered immunities in the temples of justice. So an unbiased electoral system and body for a free, fair and credible elections are non negotiable.
‘Free’ means that all those entitled to vote have the right to be registered and to vote and must be free to make their choice. According to our constitution, every citizen over the age of 18 is entitled to vote.
Also an election will be considered ‘free’ if you are allowed to decide whether or not to vote and vote freely for the candidate or party of your choice without fear or intimidation and or harassment. A ‘free’ election can also be regarded as where you are confident that who you vote for remains your secret.
By ‘Fair’, it means that all registered political parties have an equal right to contest the elections on the same level ground, campaign for voters support and hold meetings and rallies. This gives them a fair chance to convince voters to vote for them.
A fair election also denote an election in which all voters have an equal opportunity to register, where all votes are counted, and where the final results reflect the actual vote totals.
"Credible" implies an open and transparent process especially by the electoral umpire which will make the actual outcome capable of being believed by the more than simple majority of the citizens.
By credible, it also means the outcome of the the whole process is worthy of the citizens' confidence. The results are reliable and not manipulated. The level of genuine neutrality of the electoral commission dictates the credibility of any election.
Therefore, It's one thing for the election to be free and fair on the filed on election day across polling units, it's another thing entirely for the electoral umpire to admit and allow votes of the people to actually be the final outcome or results. The credibility of an election will make it even more acceptable to the losers and runner up without unnecessary litigations that usually accompany every election in Nigeria.
With the exception of the 1959 and the annulled June 12 1993 general elections, elections in Nigeria have always been marred by irregularities and lack of transparency from electoral body, collusion with either ruling or opposition party for manipulation of the election's outcome, implementing an electoral process with procedures that encourages violence and anarchy . The 1964/65 Western Regional and National elections, the 1979 and 1983 federal election, the 2003 and 2007 presidential and governorship elections were elections that encouraged anarchy as they were generally adjudged far below free, fair and lacked in any measure for credibility test, basically because of INEC collisions with either any of the contending major parties leading to endless litigations in each cases.
Meanwhile, aside the 2015 general elections which can simply be categorised and termed as a mob elections, the 2019 and 2023 general elections overtly revealed that those who voted had done nothing but those who counted and determined the votes are the ones that occupied the Central Processing Unit of the electoral and democratic system as it were very glaring for all to see in those elections.
Despite improved electoral laws and introductions of e-voting machine , B-Vas, there were overt indications of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) been bias, non transparent most especially with uses of even B-Vas, alterations of the election results both on B-Vas and on form EC8, inconclusive elections as a result of materials not timely taken to the polling units on election day.
Collusions with rejected APC national leader Tinubu to upturned the people's will, as Tinubu who paid their pipers dictated their tune in a supposedly general election meant for majority of the citizens to decide on who governs us for a period of four years. Remarks by incumbent president himself that he bought his way to the presidency also confirmed all these.
Coming to term with the individuals occupying various positions within the electoral umpire such as INEC chairman, INEC commissioner among others, the appointments to these positions are political appointments. This is exactly where and reason the credibility of the electoral outcomes are been compromised and sacrificed in Nigeria. Funny enough is that all those that have been appointed and served as INEC chairman are all university professors who have pleasures in subverting the will of the majority for their personal aggrandizements.
The appointment of the incumbent INEC chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu was said to have been influenced back the in 2018 by Bola Ahmed Tinubu and as a result, against all odds INEC chairman decided the outcome of 2019 presidential election in favour of Major General Muhammadu Buhari who had lost all credibilities to win the Said election considering the level of hungers, compounding existing Boko Haram with bandit and Fulani herdsmen menace amidst human rights violations, lack of respect for rule of law, etc. To simply put it, 'the CIA agent Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been in charged, remotiing and controlling INEC before ever becoming the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The prospects of any free, fair and credible elections under him as the sitting president looks very invincible.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu ensured Buhari was re-elected through his puppet INEC chairman Mahmood Yakub in a grand calculation for his 2023 presidential ambition which saw him and his gangs unleashing all forms of deceits, manipulations and impersonation at the highest order including impersonating the clergymen.
The prospects and chances of having a free, fair and credible elections comes 2027 under the Tinubu led APC anti- people government and an INEC that takes orders directly from him will be absolutely impossible.
On the state of the political parties in Nigeria currently, just like the late military Totalitarian dictator General Sani Abacha was to emerged the sole presidential candidate of the all political parties formedy perior his sudden death in 1998, Tinubu and his Mafia camp have been earnestly working to undermine and subvert the democratic processes, moving the country towards a one party system.
The Tinubu and his Mafias who are in APC and in his government are also directly and indirectly dictating the fates of other political parties as PDP is in their hands too, while the same INEC has been the weapon of distabilisation in Tinubu's hands holding Labour Party (LP) down ineffectively immediately after the 2023 general elections just as was the case with Omoyele Sowore led African Action AAC after 2019 general elections. For the LP, INEC that refused to accept the kangaroo National Convention that returned Barrister Julius Abure as the National Chairman has also refused to upload the names of the Senator Nenadi Esther Usman led National Caretaker Committee of the party even after a Supreme Court judgement sacked else while Chairman Abure. For months now, INEC is still studying the court judgement.
Suffix to this is the fact that this same INEC has made the registration of new party nearly impossible. Even the Social Democratic Party SDP that some aggrieved politicians and citizens seemly running to can't be adjudged clear of Tinubu's influence. He was to contest the 2023 presidential election in the SDP platform if APC had denied him the presidential ticket.
Off season elections conducted so far in Edo, Ondo are another testaments of systemic disruption of oppositions in favour of the ruling party. These are the litmus tests if what to expect in 2027.
Removing the bias, unfair and non neutral Professor Mahmood Yakub by Mr President, to nominate another of his stoogees for the National Assembly to rubber stamped again may not help going forward to 2027 as the entire citizens of voting ages are on the verge of been manipulated and shortchanged again.
An electoral reform by the National Assembly that ensure that the sitting president does not nominate top INEC officers may go a long way to reduce underground and unconstitutional interference in the activities of the umpire.
Conclusively, as our forefathers at independence opted for a democratic and egalitarian society, it's the duties of all of us to mobilize, sensitize citizens on the needs for a credible, free and fair elections. We must continue to speak and stand against Intimidations and brazen harassment of voters as openly seen in 2023 presidential and national assembly elections and most especially the governorship elections in some states and Lagos, Rivers, Kogi in particular.
The essential of governance is to serve the people. Maximum pleasure for greater numbers of people but in the case of Nigeria and her citizens, it has been maximum pains for an absolute majority while the very few and less than minority including the incumbent President are living large in frivolous and lavish spending as seen in their budgetary allocations to themselves. Students loans already cornered. Hunger ruling without mercy, no end in sight to criminalities, terrorism , banditary, Fulani herdsmen menace and kidnapping for ransoms
Nigerians should know that they want to contend and contest not only against brutal Tinubu led APC that believed in antidemocratic highjacking and run with it principles but also against the Tinubu's INEC that will be ready to hand him a certificate of return even if he failed to contest in the forth coming 2027 general elections.
Infact, as far as 2027 is approaching, factor that can ensure free, fair and credible elections will be an unwavering determinations by Nigerians to enforce it at the polling units level against the ruling party, INEC and institutions and agencies of state or the readiness to go the Malian way or Burkina way in another hand if the need be for a democratic reset.
Nigerians should rather win the 2027 elections at the polling units or loss it forever.
Sir Dele Abiola
oluabiola81@gmail.com
|
Bola Tinubu and
His INEC Chairman |
Elections are a central feature of representatives democracies. For elections to express the will of the electorate, they must be ‘free, fair’ and 'credible'.
Free, fair and credible elections are largely determined by the electoral body. Nigeria's independent National Electoral Commission INEC under Professor Mahmood Yakub or anyone as may be later appointed and their subordinates are the major bane and barriers to credible and acceptable elections in Nigeria. While the INEC neutrality is questionable, judiciary has long seized to be the last hope of anybody but a place of judicial trades for the very few with highest influence and highest bidders. The Nigeria's Judicial Service Commission has sanctioned in the past judges handling Election Petition Tribunals but not now any longer with the level of unhindered immunities in the temples of justice. So an unbiased electoral system and body for a free, fair and credible elections are non negotiable.
‘Free’ means that all those entitled to vote have the right to be registered and to vote and must be free to make their choice. According to our constitution, every citizen over the age of 18 is entitled to vote.
Also an election will be considered ‘free’ if you are allowed to decide whether or not to vote and vote freely for the candidate or party of your choice without fear or intimidation and or harassment. A ‘free’ election can also be regarded as where you are confident that who you vote for remains your secret.
By ‘Fair’, it means that all registered political parties have an equal right to contest the elections on the same level ground, campaign for voters support and hold meetings and rallies. This gives them a fair chance to convince voters to vote for them.
A fair election also denote an election in which all voters have an equal opportunity to register, where all votes are counted, and where the final results reflect the actual vote totals.
"Credible" implies an open and transparent process especially by the electoral umpire which will make the actual outcome capable of being believed by the more than simple majority of the citizens.
By credible, it also means the outcome of the the whole process is worthy of the citizens' confidence. The results are reliable and not manipulated. The level of genuine neutrality of the electoral commission dictates the credibility of any election.
Therefore, It's one thing for the election to be free and fair on the filed on election day across polling units, it's another thing entirely for the electoral umpire to admit and allow votes of the people to actually be the final outcome or results. The credibility of an election will make it even more acceptable to the losers and runner up without unnecessary litigations that usually accompany every election in Nigeria.
With the exception of the 1959 and the annulled June 12 1993 general elections, elections in Nigeria have always been marred by irregularities and lack of transparency from electoral body, collusion with either ruling or opposition party for manipulation of the election's outcome, implementing an electoral process with procedures that encourages violence and anarchy . The 1964/65 Western Regional and National elections, the 1979 and 1983 federal election, the 2003 and 2007 presidential and governorship elections were elections that encouraged anarchy as they were generally adjudged far below free, fair and lacked in any measure for credibility test, basically because of INEC collisions with either any of the contending major parties leading to endless litigations in each cases.
Meanwhile, aside the 2015 general elections which can simply be categorised and termed as a mob elections, the 2019 and 2023 general elections overtly revealed that those who voted had done nothing but those who counted and determined the votes are the ones that occupied the Central Processing Unit of the electoral and democratic system as it were very glaring for all to see in those elections.
Despite improved electoral laws and introductions of e-voting machine , B-Vas, there were overt indications of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) been bias, non transparent most especially with uses of even B-Vas, alterations of the election results both on B-Vas and on form EC8, inconclusive elections as a result of materials not timely taken to the polling units on election day.
Collusions with rejected APC national leader Tinubu to upturned the people's will, as Tinubu who paid their pipers dictated their tune in a supposedly general election meant for majority of the citizens to decide on who governs us for a period of four years. Remarks by incumbent president himself that he bought his way to the presidency also confirmed all these.
Coming to term with the individuals occupying various positions within the electoral umpire such as INEC chairman, INEC commissioner among others, the appointments to these positions are political appointments. This is exactly where and reason the credibility of the electoral outcomes are been compromised and sacrificed in Nigeria. Funny enough is that all those that have been appointed and served as INEC chairman are all university professors who have pleasures in subverting the will of the majority for their personal aggrandizements.
The appointment of the incumbent INEC chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu was said to have been influenced back the in 2018 by Bola Ahmed Tinubu and as a result, against all odds INEC chairman decided the outcome of 2019 presidential election in favour of Major General Muhammadu Buhari who had lost all credibilities to win the Said election considering the level of hungers, compounding existing Boko Haram with bandit and Fulani herdsmen menace amidst human rights violations, lack of respect for rule of law, etc. To simply put it, 'the CIA agent Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been in charged, remotiing and controlling INEC before ever becoming the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The prospects of any free, fair and credible elections under him as the sitting president looks very invincible.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu ensured Buhari was re-elected through his puppet INEC chairman Mahmood Yakub in a grand calculation for his 2023 presidential ambition which saw him and his gangs unleashing all forms of deceits, manipulations and impersonation at the highest order including impersonating the clergymen.
The prospects and chances of having a free, fair and credible elections comes 2027 under the Tinubu led APC anti- people government and an INEC that takes orders directly from him will be absolutely impossible.
On the state of the political parties in Nigeria currently, just like the late military Totalitarian dictator General Sani Abacha was to emerged the sole presidential candidate of the all political parties formedy perior his sudden death in 1998, Tinubu and his Mafia camp have been earnestly working to undermine and subvert the democratic processes, moving the country towards a one party system.
The Tinubu and his Mafias who are in APC and in his government are also directly and indirectly dictating the fates of other political parties as PDP is in their hands too, while the same INEC has been the weapon of distabilisation in Tinubu's hands holding Labour Party (LP) down ineffectively immediately after the 2023 general elections just as was the case with Omoyele Sowore led African Action AAC after 2019 general elections. For the LP, INEC that refused to accept the kangaroo National Convention that returned Barrister Julius Abure as the National Chairman has also refused to upload the names of the Senator Nenadi Esther Usman led National Caretaker Committee of the party even after a Supreme Court judgement sacked else while Chairman Abure. For months now, INEC is still studying the court judgement.
Suffix to this is the fact that this same INEC has made the registration of new party nearly impossible. Even the Social Democratic Party SDP that some aggrieved politicians and citizens seemly running to can't be adjudged clear of Tinubu's influence. He was to contest the 2023 presidential election in the SDP platform if APC had denied him the presidential ticket.
Off season elections conducted so far in Edo, Ondo are another testaments of systemic disruption of oppositions in favour of the ruling party. These are the litmus tests if what to expect in 2027.
Removing the bias, unfair and non neutral Professor Mahmood Yakub by Mr President, to nominate another of his stoogees for the National Assembly to rubber stamped again may not help going forward to 2027 as the entire citizens of voting ages are on the verge of been manipulated and shortchanged again.
An electoral reform by the National Assembly that ensure that the sitting president does not nominate top INEC officers may go a long way to reduce underground and unconstitutional interference in the activities of the umpire.
Conclusively, as our forefathers at independence opted for a democratic and egalitarian society, it's the duties of all of us to mobilize, sensitize citizens on the needs for a credible, free and fair elections. We must continue to speak and stand against Intimidations and brazen harassment of voters as openly seen in 2023 presidential and national assembly elections and most especially the governorship elections in some states and Lagos, Rivers, Kogi in particular.
The essential of governance is to serve the people. Maximum pleasure for greater numbers of people but in the case of Nigeria and her citizens, it has been maximum pains for an absolute majority while the very few and less than minority including the incumbent President are living large in frivolous and lavish spending as seen in their budgetary allocations to themselves. Students loans already cornered. Hunger ruling without mercy, no end in sight to criminalities, terrorism , banditary, Fulani herdsmen menace and kidnapping for ransoms
Nigerians should know that they want to contend and contest not only against brutal Tinubu led APC that believed in antidemocratic highjacking and run with it principles but also against the Tinubu's INEC that will be ready to hand him a certificate of return even if he failed to contest in the forth coming 2027 general elections.
Infact, as far as 2027 is approaching, factor that can ensure free, fair and credible elections will be an unwavering determinations by Nigerians to enforce it at the polling units level against the ruling party, INEC and institutions and agencies of state or the readiness to go the Malian way or Burkina way in another hand if the need be for a democratic reset.
Nigerians should rather win the 2027 elections at the polling units or loss it forever.
Sir Dele Abiola
oluabiola81@gmail.com
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