If you thought the presidential and National Assembly elections of February 25, 2023, were awful, compromised, rigged and manipulated, you would have to think again. Last Saturday’s governorship and state houses of assembly elections that were marked by higher levels of electoral heist, unprecedented violence and warfare, deliberate exclusion of voters from casting their ballot because of their ethnic origins and affiliation to opposition political parties, as well as audacious snatching of election material and ballot boxes by thugs in open spaces sullied the integrity of the elections.
Nigeria has never presented to the international community its low regard for the rule of law during elections. The general election conducted in 2023 will go down in history as the worst. Just when you thought the electoral umpire that goes by the curious title of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had learned some lessons from previous elections that were controlled and manoeuvred, senior election officials fell further into the bottom of the valley. They did so because they had no shame, no character, no moral uprightness, no ethical principles and no standards of behaviour.
No sooner did the presidential election conclude on Saturday, February 25, 2023, than staggering allegations of corruption and improper conduct by election officials began to circulate on mainstream and online media. Since that day, the questions have persisted: Who gave what amount of money to whom, when, where, how and why? And to what extent did the money allegedly offered and received by election officials affect the final outcomes of the elections?
Unfortunately, there are no easy ways to find the truth. Views circulating on social media represent no more than speculation founded on the platform of fantasy or human imagination. But then again you must wonder why INEC officials who presumably understand the processes stipulated in the Electoral Act would choose to embrace evil and shut their eyes to what the laws specify. It is this blatant diabolical choice by election officials that has fuelled public feelings that INEC officials must have compromised their jobs or have been bought by crooked candidates and political parties.
Last weekend, many voters were prevented from casting their votes because they hailed from a different ethnic group or were affiliated to an opposition political party. These unlawful interpretations and criminal behaviour compelled voters to believe that something unusual had disrupted the thinking abilities of otherwise reasonable election officials.
To describe what happened before, during and after last Saturday’s elections as disgraceful is to apply sarcasm to injustice and human rights abuses. The elections, if one could describe them as such, were inane, shameful and a stain on Nigeria’s image.
As you would imagine, allegations of corruption that erupted right after the presidential election results were announced were targeted at the highest level of INEC management, including the chairperson, Mahmood Yakubu.
Monumental and stupefying allegations of corruption against a man holding a high position of trust show the level of moral decadence that has eaten deep into the souls of officials of an institution established to supervise the conduct of free, fair, credible, transparent and violence-free elections.
The latest allegations against INEC officials appear to be supported by anecdotal evidence and the unusual behaviour of officials at the polling centres. Corruption charges against INEC have anaesthetised the nation’s soul. Where is Nigeria headed as a country?
A corrupt senior INEC official is an embarrassment to the country and must be viewed as a threat to the ability of other officials to perform their tasks candidly and dispassionately. Aspersions cast freely on the character and morality of senior INEC officers will impact negatively on the image of Nigeria, the integrity of all public officers, as well as the way the public perceives a few good men and women still holding up the light in INEC.
Inappropriate behaviour by the head of an important institution such as INEC must be seen as troubling. The civil service code of conduct requires that senior and junior officers who compromise their positions or are found guilty of undermining their professional code of behaviour must be treated punitively or severely disciplined.
Last week, Yakubu threatened he would take one newspaper to court because of what he called defamatory reports published in that newspaper. The challenge for him is to match his words with action. Hot air expressed during the peak of anger may not be taken as admissible evidence in the court of law.
When aspersions are cast freely on the character and integrity of senior INEC officials on the ground that they compromised their duties and bowed to the pull of money, it is Nigeria’s decency and uprightness that is sullied and scorned before the international community. A corrupt INEC official represents an open wound on the soul of a nation.
One implication of the inundation of the public sphere with serious allegations of corruption made against men and women who are assigned the responsibility of conducting hitch-free elections across the country is that, if unchecked and if the allegations are allowed to fester for a long period, they will hasten negative perceptions of INEC as a desecrated and damaged establishment occupied by depraved and dishonourable men and women.
In every country, electoral umpires and officers who oversee the conduct of elections have an obligation to their society and to do their job to the best of their ability. They are undoubtedly the guardians of public service. They must have the moral strength to perform their job and to meet public expectations.
Long before now, senior public office holders in Nigeria were perceived as men and women of high character. For that reason, they were esteemed because they occupied positions of confidence. Sometimes you must wonder what could drive a man, particularly a privileged senior election officer, to endanger their position and their family name. Many election officials appear to live on imaginary islands where they envision themselves acquiring as much property and money as they could during an election. These are self-delusional officers who are unable to separate reality from fiction.
Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi said in December 2013 at an occasion organised to honour Nelson Mandela: “If you see a thief and you allow him to be stealing, what have you done? You have stoned nobody; that is why we are stealing. Who have you stoned? …A few individuals are going away with the money and you have done nothing.”
Amaechi’s bizarre speech was deeply offensive, particularly the part where he said: “You’ve heard that $50bn is missing and you have done nothing about it.” The speech was powerful but also self-critical. Amaechi’s message addressed questions about lack of accountability and transparency and responsibility in government. Obviously, his public address fell on deaf ears.
Following the unresolved outcomes of the February 2023 presidential election, the situation in Nigeria remains dire. Everyone knows that stinkingly rich politicians are the people who continuously disrupt elections in Nigeria. They lay out an ultimate that states it is either their way or there would be no way forward for the country. And they have been doing so quite successfully and spectacularly.
The moment we curtail the influence of corrupt politicians on Nigeria’s electoral processes, that would be the beginning of free, fair, credible, transparent, and hitch-free elections in Nigeria. For now, the monied class believe they can use their wealth to influence the outcomes of elections.