By Theophilus Keme
Off-season governorship elections were held across three states of the federation on November 11, 2023. This which in high expectation as usual aroused a lot unsaddled anticipation amongst Nigerians, as there was a general presumptive that the true effect of the Bivas and function of the IREVs would attest its relevance in been the game changer for the masses in making their votes count, also as it was presumed to make it a difficult ride for vying candidates who wish to manipulate votes.
But the aftermath of the November 11 polls, held in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi states, has once again become a reminiscence of the anticlimax of the February 25 Presidential Election, when lofty promises made to the general public who throng registration centres to get their Permanent Voter Cards turned out to be a mirage.
It has always been a common behavior by politicians that in the concluding of every election, that losers always seeks a further redress in tribunal on allegations of electoral malpractices in hope that court can grant justice to their allege claims. Whilst on the other hand, the winners assert in excitement of how free and fair the whole electoral process has been and even go as further to act blindsided to exempt every error that was noticed from their supporters and member in bringing them to power.
STATS & THE ALLEGATIONS IN OFF-CYCLE ELECTION
In Imo State, Governor Hope Uzodinma retained his position as he was declared winner. Mr Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 540,308 votes to defeat his closest challenger and the candidate of the PDP, Samuel Anyanwu, who scored 71,503 votes. The candidate of the LP, Athan Achonu, came third, with 64,081 votes.
In Kogi state, the anointed candidate of Governor Yahaya Bello of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Usman Ododo won with 446,237 votes, defeating his closest rival, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party, who garnered 259,052, while Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party pulled 46,362 votes.
In the Bayelsa governorship election, Diri polled a total of 175,196 votes to defeat his closest rival, Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who scored 115,262 votes. To which a myriad of electoral violations has been alleged to have precipitated from the state as contesting candidates have all made known of their rejection of electoral process and the outcome in which Governor Douye Diri was re-elected.
According to a report by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), there were several reports of electoral violence and vote buying across the three states. Also, reports of thugs attacking several polling units in the three states.
In Imo State. The two major parties’ agents reportedly engaged in vote buying, sharing between N2000 to N3000. INEC officials were reportedly bribed. Electoral violence was reported where a thug was reportedly shot and killed by military officials while fleeing in an attempt to snatch a ballot box.
In Bayelsa Central, vote trading was reported in some numbers of polling Units with reports of voter inducements ranging from N5,000 – N22,000, and items such as wrappers and rice were also reportedly shared to buy votes. INEC presiding officer was also reportedly abducted in Bayelsa while on his way to the Registration Area Centre – 06 (Ossioma) in Sagbama Local Government Area.”
“In Kogi, there were reports of vote buying in PUs where party agents were allegedly sharing out money to voters upon confirmation that they voted for their party candidates. In realization of the unprecedented number of complaint that was been experienced in the state, the SDP earlier had made the call at the Collation Centre where the party’s collation agent, David Edibu, submitted a petition to INEC, calling for cancellation of results in Okene, Okehi, Ogori/Magongo, Adavi, and Ajaokuta Local Government Areas of the state as well as some parts of Lokoja LGA, alleging corrupt practices, vote buying and over-voting. Also did the collation agent of PDP, Abubakar Mahmood, aligned with the petition of the SDP adding that the incidence of malpractices in the said local government areas was alarming.
Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) while reacting to the call for cancellation of the elections in parts of the State, said that the PDP and SDP cannot blame anyone for not deploying agents to the polling units.
REACTIONS TO THE OFF CYCLE ELECTION
• Agents and Candidates of Bayelsa Labour Party and the Bayelsa All Progressive Congress has revealed further that their next step of their party is to challenge the result before the tribunal because the electioneering process in the state was characterised by rigging and manipulation by the electoral body and INEC.
• PDP national chairman, Ambassador Umar Illiya Damagum, who expressed his concern during a press conference on the results of the off-cycle elections said, “I am afraid of what will become of future off-season, maybe there will be no election in this country.” He, however, urged those who feel cheated in this election to pursue their grievance through the lawful means “even though we have doubts that even the lawful means is also a sad story. In a country where justice is not dispensed, then anarchy is imminent.”
•The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “to promptly establish a joint, credible, transparent, effective, and broad-based investigation into allegations of electoral bribery and violence in the off-cycle governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states.”
* Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, has called for a coalition of opposition parties against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
* Omoyele Sowore, former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress cum political activist, in reaction to the three state governorship express his displeasure as he asserts that Nigerian leaders do not have the capacity, will and interest to conduct free, fair and credible elections in the country. He noted that it does not matter whether the election is off-season, general or a rerun, the leadership will mess it up. He also described the electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as the worst electoral saboteur in Nigeria, followed by state electoral commissions and security agencies.
* Speaking at a press conference in Lokoja, the state capital, Dino Melaye, the PDP candidate in the Kogi election described the election as a sham. “INEC must cancel the election. We have evidence to back up. INEC has manifested gross incompetence; it cannot be trusted, it is biased and compromised,” he said. He said INEC is the bane of development as a nation, adding that the time had come for Nigerians to rise up and effect a leadership change at the electoral umpire.
The PDP candidate stated that the INEC officials refused to make available result sheets in most polling units, claiming that the areas he won, there were no available result sheet to record.
Whilst the alleged incapacitation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the three states election make known in the air, INEC as they were expected to clear the notion of all sort of allegations of being compromised has come out to clear the air.
INEC corrects the notion by media houses and individuals of its involvement in favoring of particular party and candidates instead of abiding by the democratic rule. The commission has said it did not tamper with any result or data on the election result viewing portal (IReV). The commission has said it observed media reports accusing it of tampering with the figures of accredited voters in last Saturday’s Kogi State governorship election and other state elections.
However this same allegation and clearance of recalled, has it been known to have happened durning the February general election and once again the same allegation to have being compromise by the incumbent comes up again. Perhaps there should be a need for an amendment of the constitution as over time Nigeria leaders have all given their own individual explanation of politics in Nigeria, and this Electoral- Processes which may only be understandable to their clan does no longer aligns with the knowledge of the masses of the country anymore if democracy is still exist in the right political processes.
