BEVERLY HILLS, April 11, (THEWILL) – Two off season elections held recently in Abia and Ekiti States have brought to the fore, the danger posed to Nigeria’s nascent democracy by people who engaged in electoral violence.
The Aba North/Aba South Federal election conducted on Saturday, March 27, 2021 witnessed violent acts as explosives were reported to have been used in one polling unit in Aba. In another unit, a collation officer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was allegedly abducted.
A week earlier, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had to suspend the Ekiti East 1 State Constituency by-election indefinitely over cases of violence.
The commission announced the indefinite suspension of the election in a statement issued by Mr. Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee.
Okoye said that the Commission received a report from the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti State that the by-election was disrupted by violent attacks on voters, election officials and security personnel.
He noted that INEC made adequate arrangements for the election, adding that personnel and materials arrived on time in all the 39 Polling Units spread across 5 Wards of the Constituency for the 23,670 registered voters to exercise their franchise in a free and fair process. He said, however, no sooner had voting commenced than unidentified gunmen unleashed mayhem at some polling units, thereby disrupting the process.
“Unfortunately, some innocent voters were shot dead, but a policeman, some INEC regular and ad hoc staff who sustained gunshot injuries during the melee were said to be receiving medical attention.
“This situation is unacceptable. In its avowed commitment to electoral integrity, the Commission has suspended the election indefinitely,” Okoye said, saying “to continue with the process would amount to rewarding bad behavour.”
Aside the above mentioned, when we talk of electoral violence in Nigeria, one incident that is still fresh in the minds of Nigerians is the gruesome murder of the Peoples Democratic Party Women Leader in Kogi State, Madam Achejuh Abuh, who was killed shortly after election in 2019.
The killing of Abuh drew the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari who wondered what could have spurred anyone to take the life of another human being, particularly a woman, who was burnt to death in her home in the most gruesome manner.
The President while speaking on this also cautioned Nigerians saying. “We must learn to behave decently, whether during elections or at other times. No life should be taken wantonly under any guise, and the fact that this reprehensible act occurred two days after voting shows primitive behaviour, which should not be accepted in a decent society.”
Political observers believe that the current voters’ apathy being witnessed in elections in Nigeria may worsen with the recurring electoral violence saying this pose a danger to our nascent democracy.
Speaking on the development, Adaetan Ojo, a Political commentator based in Abuja told THEWILL that, “As of now the turn out for elections have been very poor as most times less than 30 per cent of voters who registered for the election turn up on election day to vote. I believe the apathy on the part of voters will get worse and if care is not taken, democracy which has been defined as government of the people, by the people and for the people may turn out to be government of the brave few who are able to summon courage and turn out on election day, not minding the risk”.
“If we can have killings in a state by- election, an off season elections, what will happen when we have general election in 2023. Something must be done to correct these bad behavior on elections day”, he said.
Since 1999 when democratic rule was restored in the country, politicians appear to have failed to make attempt to deepen and strengthen democratic principles in the country. Rather, sad memories of electoral violence in the past have been re-enacted. For instance, the 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015 elections have been marred by widespread fraud and unprecedented political violence.
Political violence at this period took a disproportionate shape; there were cases of political assassinations. President Olusegun Obasanjo had in early 2002 warned that politicians were raising private militias that could make the elections bloody and indeed, the election turned out to be bloody.
“In November 2002, disturbances broke out in Kaduna State with high profile killings with clear political undertone” .
The 2007 general elections which domestic and foreign observers described as the worst in Nigeria’s history also witnessed terrible violence.
This was not unconnected to President Obasanjo’s proclamation weeks before the election that the 2007 elections would be a “do or die affair.”
Little surprise that available evidence had it that the 2007 elections were deadly and frightening in nature.
The illegalities and sundry violence that featured prominently in the 2007 elections were succinctly captured by international monitors.
However in the build up to 2011 general elections, concerted efforts were made to drastically reduce electoral violence to the barest minimum.
One of such moves was a meeting of the 36 state governors of the federation which was chaired by the Chairman of then Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Bukola Saraki, which was held on 8th February, 2011 at Abuja where the governors signed an undertaking.
The pact was to among other things ensure free, fair, credible and transparent electoral process in the upcoming elections; to do their best to ensure that the elections were devoid of any form of manipulation, thuggery, violence, rigging and any other form of underhand tactics.
Despite the lofty goals of the undertaking, political violence featured prominently in all the elections. There were cases of electoral violence across the Nigeria’s six geo-political zones. The electoral violence started with deadly campaigns as violent clashes ensued among supporters of different political parties which led to the death of several people while many sustained injuries of various degrees just nine days to the general elections
Emergence of National Peace Committee
The National Peace Committee came into prominence in the build up to the 2015 general elections when ominous signs hung on the nation like the sword of Damocles on what the outcome of the elections, especially the Presidential, portend for the nation.
The Committee which is made up of very prominent Nigerians including top clerics, Matthew Hassan Kukah who is the current Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto and the Sultan of Sokoto and Head of the Islamic Religion in Nigeria, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar as well as former Head of State, General Abdulsalam Abubakat .
The committee was able to reduce tension just before the elections by committing the contending forces then to sign peace accord that parties should shun violence and self help if the elections did not go their way. It advocated constitutional and peaceful means of ventilating any grievances arising from the conduct of the elections.
It followed through to its self-assigned mandate by getting the then incumbent President, Goodluck Jonathan, to put a call across to its main rival, the current President, congratulating him on his success at the polls even when the result had not been officially declared by the electoral umpire – Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
With that singular move, tension was diffused and the nation heaved a huge sigh of relief.
Consequently, the Committee had since etched itself on national marble and the psyche of Nigerians as the moral compass of the nation.
Just before the 2019 general elections, the committee repeated what it did in 2015 elections; the contending political gladiators were again made to sign the peace accord.
Immediately the presidential election result was announced and to stem any untoward reaction from the main contender – Alhaji Atiku Abubakar – and his supporters, the National Peace Committee swung into action and met with him and thereafter with the incumbent President – Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) The former and his supporters laid their grievances before the committee about the conduct of the elections and made it clear that they would contest the outcome constitutionally.
Political observers believe the electoral violence may only reduce if Nigeria changes ‘ the winner takes all’ stance as enshrined in the Electoral Act.
Speaking with THEWILL on the development, the Secretary General of the Pan Yoruba Group, Yoruba Council of Elders, Dr Kunle Olajide, said the solution lies in the introduction of electronic voting.
According to him, “ When we resort to electronic voting, there will be less of violence, like ballot box snatching and killing of electoral officers. If everyone can vote through electronic process , violence will reduce.
“You can hardly blame the violence on the security agents. Police at polling booths are not usually armed, as they only carry batons, while the electoral violators are usually armed”, he said.
Also speaking, a member of the Campaign for Democracy, Comrade Sola Olawale, said “violence erupts in our elections because of the desperation of our politicians. They want to win at all cost because they would have expended much money before election. So the way out is to change our electoral system by making public offices less attractive.”
Whichever way one look at it, both the INEC and security agencies as well as the judiciary have to do something and on time too to discourage political violence and save democracy from going into extinction.
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
