THE NEED TO AVOID STAMPEDING INEC INTO MISTAKES

BY DR CHUKS OSUJI, OON
Following the commencement of a nation-wide voter registration exercise on Saturday 15th January, and which may be ending up in the next few days, a deluge of complaints and protests greeted the entire exercise. The public outcry was so intense that some politicians who would like INEC to go to the old ways of doing things, started too prematurely to dab the exercise a disaster.
Among the anomalies detected initially included; non-availability of registration personnel at the pooling booths, non availability of materials including the lap-top computers, insufficient supply of other materials such as ink, laminating papers; inability of some of the adhoc staff to operate the computers effectively and the erratic responses way computers were behaving including rejection of some registrants’ finger prints. Indeed, there was a myriad of such complaints.
Fortunately, INEC under Professor Jega held its ground, systematically attending to urgent and pressing complaints that are genuine, ensuring that DDC machines get to every spot where they were needed. More importantly, there were either human problems which have something to do with logistics and administration, particularly the non- payment of allowances, a pyramid of other complaints including accommodation and transportation problems.
Now barely ten days after the exercise had begun on shaky ground which was not unexpected since the whole process involves almost the mobilization of nearly 2/3 of the entire population. In addition, we are dealing with new technology which to all intents and purposes must present its own difficulties and seeming challenges in adaptation, manipulation and response. It is a matter of national relief that today reports from across the country show that most of these initial problems have been taken care of.
It does not take an alert observer to see that in the whole exercise, some persons with vested interests, particularly politicians have attempted to exploit the initial challenges faced by INEC who stood its ground and refused to be stampeded into costly mistakes. This would have exposed the entire country including the Government and INEC to a global ridicule and caricature before International community.
More unfortunately, they are the same politicians who have now demonstrated over zealous and excessive enthusiasm by introducing into the entire process some undemocratic elements which are not consistent with accepted democratic norms and best practices.
For example, some politicians, particularly some Chief State Executives are using coercive approach and cajoling to force people to the booths to register. This is absolutely wrong. Yes, while there is the need to educate and enlighten the electorate of the need for them to perform their civic duties, it is unacceptable for some Governors to use element of threat to move the people to go and register. Some have mandated that possession of voters card by parents would be required to admit pupils into schools, to the hospitals and other health services, for employment and many other forms of coercive means including receipt of salary.
We must remind ourselves of the danger of coercing people to go and register. In the first place, this will give wrong statistical figure of the level of political awareness and participation among the citizenry. It could result in underage registration. More importantly, it may lead to over-registration of voters which would deceive INEC with wrong picture as to how to plan for the real election.
Besides, if there is an over registration, and the voter turn out does not reflect the registration figure, it could be interpreted that the election was shunned by the people or that there was a general apathy. On the part of the electorate, it is a common knowledge that previous registrations of voters have been massively manipulated by politicians. And Prof. Jega and his INEC are now trying to get the real figure which can help the holding of free, fair and credible.
Therefore, since there is a general mood in the country to get our election process in order this time around, it will be necessary for all and sundry particularly the politicians not to do anything to stampede INEC which could be counter-productive if only to sooth the orchestrated and ever amplified challenges which the commission has finally and systematically stood firm to overcome. Suggestions for across the board extension of the registration period are not an ideal thing because of other social and logistic implications. Rather, the commission can take a holistic appraisal of the entire exercises and to consider extension on segmented basis and or to take appropriate action to accommodate those areas where the initial abnormalities including late delivery of DDC machines were obvious.
Social decorum, political sanity and indeed undiluted cooperation from all and sundry should prevail now. Because that is what INEC needs now.

Source: recorded live from FRCN daily commentary