Mixed reactions trail INEC timetable!

INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega

Mixed reactions have continued to follow the 2015 elections timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The Chairman of the  Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, had on Friday released the timetable for the 2015 elections, with the presidential and National Assembly  elections fixed for February 14, 2015, while the state assembly and governorship elections will come up two weeks later.

First to react was the Chairman of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties in Plateau, Yusuf Kanam. He flayed  the fixing of the presidential election before all others, saying it was meant to hoodwink Nigerians into voting for  a president that is not their choice.

Kanam, speaking in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday, said the parties would have cherished the situation where the governorship elections would come before the presidential election, so that Nigerians would not be blackmailed into electing a choice that was not theirs.

He said by placing the conduct of the elections in that order, INEC has started the process of rigging the elections in favour of a particular political party.

He said, “It is very unfortunate. This is what we have been saying. INEC must truly live up to that word ‘independent’. The President just said two days ago that the release of the timetable will determine his next move and we have INEC releasing the timetable just 48 hours after that statement.

“We would have liked a situation where the governorship election would come  first before the Presidential election because it would allow people freedom of choice. A situation where people would be emotionally blackmailed to vote for the President because the outcome of that election would determine the pattern of voting in the governorship election is not the best for our presidential system.

“People should be allowed freedom of choice and should not be coerced by any means whatsoever against their choice. The governorship election is very crucial and should come before the presidential election so that people would not be encumbered to vote for whoever they wish as President.”

While calling on INEC to reverse the order for the election, Kanam called on the commission to express its independence in clear terms so that Nigerians would have confidence not only in the electoral system but also in the ability of the commission to hold a free and fair election.

Similarly, the Executive Director, Anti-Corruption Network and former member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dino Melaye said the elections are too close to the inauguration date.

Melaye said, “The   date for the presidential and governorship election are too close to the date of inauguration, which is May 29 because all election petitions and litigations would not have been concluded. If there are rerun elections, those elections can only be conducted in March, given the litigation period. That idea of February 14 and 28 is very myopic, porous and parochial.”

He also queried INEC’s failure to announce specific dates for campaigns, saying, “Why is INEC silent on the date for the take-off and closure of campaigns? INEC did not also stipulate clearly the date for primaries and submission of party candidates.”

Also, the  Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Mr. Auwal Rafsanjani, in his reaction, said,  “The release of timetable by INEC would formally provide politicians the opportunity to start preparing for elections and campaigns.

This would also enable political parties to be more active but will also make governance suffer as some government officials would ignore governance and start massive looting in order to get re-elected, given the tolerance of corruption and election rigging that has become a norm in Nigerian politics.”

While observing that it was the prerogative of INEC to fix the time for elections in accordance with the constitution and the Electoral Act, the President of Nigeria Voters Assembly, Mashood Erubami, noted that the exercise might be marred by inadequate and late release of funds. He also opined that the coming national conference may clash with the elections.

“The proposed national conference by the President may mar the plan by INEC to hold elections as scheduled. Nigerians are looking forward to using the 2015 election to liberate themselves from the shackles of oppression and monumental poverty, believing that the election, when freely and fairly conducted, will loosen their entangled hands and legs and give them social, political and economic freedom.

“However, we hold the opinion that the conference is wrongly timed to hold before the elections and its non-conclusion might bring about problems in the election timetable.   President Jonathan’s proposed national conference appears to be planning to occupy the space for the preparation for general elections in 2014.

“If by error of omission and commission, the conference is deadlocked, Nigerians would have advertently played into the hands of politicians earnestly asking for the President’s continued stay in power.

“The President will only need to call on us to be reasonable in the face of this inadvertent development. We would then oblige, because the time left may not be enough to guarantee the preparation for a credible election.”