About two weeks to the February 16 presidential election, there are concerns, especially among opposition political parties and critical stakeholders about the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a free, fair and transparent election.
Penultimate week, former President Olusegun Obasanjo in a state of the nation press conference had pointedly accused the electoral body of plotting to manipulate the elections in favour of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Obasanjo expressed doubts about the integrity, impartiality and competence of INEC to conduct a credible presidential poll next month. The former president, while making allusion to the controversy that trailed the Osun governorship poll, where the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with a very slim margin, wondered if the Federal Government will allow the electoral umpire a free hand in the presidential contest.
“I personally have serious doubt about the present INEC’s integrity, impartiality and competence to conduct a fair, free and credible election. And if the INEC is willing, will the ruling party and government allow it? From what we saw and knew about Osun State governorship election, what was conclusive was declared inconclusive despite all advice to the contrary,” Obasanjo stated.
He added that “ the unnecessary rerun, if viewed as a test-run for a larger general election, would lead people to expect incidences of deliberately contrived, broken or non-working voting machines or card readers, confusion of voters as to their voting stations, inadequate supply of voting materials to designated places, long line to discourage voters and turning blind eyes to favour the blue-eye political party of INEC because the Commission’s hands will be tied to enable hatchet men and women to perform their unwholesome assignment.
“The transmission and collation of results are subject to interference, manipulation and meddling. If the INEC’s favourite political party wins with all the above infractions, the result will be conclusively declared and if not, there will be a ‘rerun’, the result of which is known before it is carried out. I know that I am not alone in being sceptical about the integrity of INEC and its ability to act creditably and above board. But we are open to be convinced otherwise.”
Before now, both the PDP and the Coalition of United Political Parties ( (CUPP), as well as key opposition figures had repeatedly accused INEC of plots to rig the presidential election in favour of the APC. However, the electoral umpire has denied the allegations.
The electoral commission has on several occasions assured that it will midwife an electoral process that will be fair, free and credible in all respects.
Speaking recently, when the European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM) visited him, the INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu reiterated the commitment of the commission to conduct a credible election next month.
“The 2019 elections will be credible. We will jealously guard the processes; we will ensure that the processes lead to the outcome that all Nigerians expect. Nothing but free, fair, credible elections will be good enough for the commission.
“Votes will count in the 2019 general election. We are ready for a free, fair and transparent process, such that will confirm the position of Nigeria in the international community as a nation that conducts credible elections. 2015 was not a fluke; it was a product of deliberate planning and 2019 is going to be the same,” Yakubu stated.
Similarly, President Buhari on several occasions had equally promised that the elections will be free, fair and credible, noting that the government will not interfere with the process.
