By Nelson Ekujumi
On
Saturday 12th October 2013, Nigerians in Delta State Central senatorial zone
went to the polls in an election that INEC was expected at least for once prove
that it is capable of conducting a free, fair and credible election in tandem
with the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians.
However,
while one was not a voter nor an accredited observer, but as a concerned
Nigeria who was eager to see things done efficiently, I monitored the election
through the media and I must confess that the reports of the conduct of the
election by INEC and the security agencies leaves much to be desired and were
very inimical to the progress of democracy in our country.
Days before the election, our media space was awash with reports
about a calculated official manipulation system to award victory via landslide
jargon in favour of the ruling PDP senatorial candidate and the result as
released by INEC yesterday Sunday 13th October, 2013 confirmed it to be
nothing but the shame that has become a way of life in our country.
From reports monitored, INEC as usual exhibited gross incompetence by deploying electoral
materials very late around 2-3pm instead of the usual 8-9am to most of the
polling centres all over the senatorial zone.
The conduct of INEC in violating the Electoral rules which
stipulates a time frame for accreditation and voting calls to question the
conduct and result of the election. Another worrisome dimension to the election
conduct was the refusal of INEC (NYSC) ad hoc staffs that protested over unpaid
allowances by refusing to go to their centres at the stipulated time and thus
jeopardized the credible conduct of the polls, so one wonders, if this was not
a calculated attempt to undermine the election.
The election was characterized by widespread reports of assaults,
molestations, ballot snatching, ballot stuffing, massive thumb printing,
violence and breach of the franchise of voters by security agencies and party
thugs who contributed in no small way to the misconduct of the election.
Another sad commentary
to the violence that characterized the election was that it was not limited to
only voters and party agents as the media also suffered similar fate when the
crew of a TV station was attacked and brutalized by some party chieftains and
thugs.
Also, there were allegations that the security agencies displayed
unpatriotic partisanship in violation of their constitutional oath by allowing
elected office holders and party chieftains of a particular party and serving
officials of the government of Delta state to move freely in violation of the
Electoral Act and even turned blind eyes and ears to reports of allegations of
electoral malpractice in some locations.
The
collation of results were also alleged to have been fraught with
irregularities through the connivance of the security agencies who chased away
other party agents except those of the PDP if the reports from the media are
anything to go by.
The
truth of the matter is that the result declared by INEC as at Sunday 13th October, 2013 in declaring Chief
Emmanuel Agwariavwodo the winner as having polled over 263, 024 votes as
against the runners up who polled about 29,075 votes and 29,055 respectively is
scandalous and not a true reflection of the democratic votes of Delta Central
Senatorial zone if we go by media reports and independent observers that the
turn out of the election were very low in view of the militarization of the
zone by the security agencies and party thugs.
One
is hereby calling for a reappraisal of the role of the military and the police
in future elections as a result of this show of shame called election in Delta
state. One would also like to use this medium to call on the inspector General
of Police, alhaji M. D. Abubakar to immediately order for investigation and
prosecution of those involved in assaulting the fundamental rights of the media
house so as to serve as a deterrent to others and put a stop to this wrong
culture of attacking media personnel and preventing them from carrying out
their constitutional duties on election days, the apology of Governor Uduaghan
without prosecution of this law violators is not acceptable.
It
is in the light of these allegations and others that one is afraid that if this
is the way and manner that INEC and the security agents wants to be abusing our
democratic rights to freely choose those to govern us by abusing the process,
then it is high time for all men and women of conscience to come out now to
save our democracy by condemning the conduct of the Delta Central Senatorial
Bye election and calling for a cancellation so that this show of shame will not
stand.
In
the interim, we urge other parties to the election not to take the law into
their hands but as democrats, to gather their facts and figures and approach
the courts for adjudication so that justice will prevail.
(Ekujumi is Executive
Director,
Centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiative (CRGI)
1a Fadeyi Street, Obafemi Awolowo Way,
Ikeja,
Lagos. Tel: 08023172694, 07033853232)
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