MANY TIMES in this column, I have had cause to critique the performance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), especially since the ascent of Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu as Chairman. We must not forget what Yakubu said on his appointment. He said he would consolidate  what Prof. Attahiru  Jega left behind. This has not been the case. Instead, what we have seen in many States,especially in Rivers, is an inconclusive election,after another that turned out to be an embarrassment.
Such criticism is borne out of a genuine concern about how INEC  under Yakubu’s leadership has not performed to the satisfaction of a vast majority of Nigerians. From one state to another, the commission has careened from one controversy to another. Last weekend governorship poll in Ondo state is the latest in a series of controversies that have dogged INEC. A  free and credible election is of great benefit to our democracy.
It’s necessary to raise these issues before the forthcoming rerun elections in Rivers State on December 10. The question is : Can we trust INEC to conduct an impartial, free, fair and transparent election in Rivers ?  I  ask this question  because trust is an invaluable asset for any electoral process to get the confidence to the people . It means being impartial, fair and dependable. It also requires that INEC  should not, under any condition abandon its duties to pursue narrow interest, in disregard to, or unconnected to the mandate of its engagement.
In practical terms , does the present INEC  have these virtues?  Is the commission truly independent and capable of standing firm, not  taking orders from outside forces, or buckling under pressure? Resolving these questions are necessary for a credible election. Make no mistake about it,  public perception  of INEC is terrible. This perception is already ingrained in the consciousness of an average voter. In eleven days time , the most contentious rerun election will take place in Rivers State. All eyes and ears are on INEC. It’s not for nothing.
The December 10 State and National Assembly elections will be the third time since this year, yet inconclusive . It may well be the last if it is bungled.
Nevertheless, if this rerun will hold, and its outcome acceptable, the issues that have dogged the process must be revisited and addressed. Among these are complaints made by the governor  Nyesom Wike. One of these was the allegation by the governor that security aides attached to him have been withdrawn by the State commissioner of police.
Although the commissioner of police has denied. But if  true, it could pose  a great risk to Wike’s life.  Last week, Gov. Wike alleged that former governor of the state and current Minister of Transportation Chibuike Amaechi,was in “possession of result sheets” for the rerun polls  yet to be conducted. Though Amaechi has denied the allegation, it makes sense that this allegation be properly probed.
It’s not enough that INEC and Amaechi have washed their hands of Wike’s accusation. A proper investigation is necessary.  Recall that in July Wike had accused the INEC chairman of hobnobbing with some chieftains of the APC in Rivers State. After the initial denial , the commission owned up that it indeed had a meeting with some officials of the APC, but not for the purpose of compromising the outcome of the elections. Mr. Nick Dazang, Deputy Director, Voter Education and publicity  admitted in a statement days after Wike had complained that the meeting was a “routine” one at the request of the leadership of APC in Rivers State. By admitting that much, INEC had put its impartiality under a cloud of suspicion.
Early on, Wike  had raised alarm  that some police personnel who were transferred out of the state in the aftermath of the violence that marred the  March 19 inconclusive rerun have found their way back to the state. The police high command has said nothing to debunk that claim.
Perhaps most disturbing is the allegation by  governor  Wike that some sensitive electoral materials were found at a private printing press in Port Harcourt, the state capital. The printing press  reportedly belongs to an APC chieftain in the state. The party has since denied the allegation.
Regardless of these denials by the State APC and the police, the complaints by Wike should not be ignored,in particular the alleged fake electoral materials. The police authorities should not shield those implicated in the offence. Rivers is one hot place INEC must prove itself above board.
The Electoral Act 2010 is clear on the severity of the offence. Section 117(1)(e) (2)(as amended by Electoral Act 2011) says that anyone who forges any ballot paper or official mark on any certificate of return is guilty of an offence. The offence carries a maximum of two years imprisonment.  Also, section 23(1) states that any person who is found with unlawful possession of voter’s card whether issued in the name of any voter or not (b) sells or attempts to sell such or buy such voter’s card shall on conviction be fined N500,000 or imprisonment not exceeding two years or both.
What all of this means is that any allegation made that could hamper a transparent electoral process must be taken very seriously. Nothing threatens fair and credible elections,peace and security and the sanctity of the ballot box more than to allow fake electoral materials to be used in any election. It bears repeating that failure to investigate all the complaints made by Wike and other stakeholders in Rivers State, including even the claims by the APC in the state, will jeopardise the December 10 rerun.
Though keen observers of Rivers state politics insist that APC is not very popular in the state, that is not my concern. It is for the voters  in the state to decide. I am concerned about the way forward for a hitch-free, credible rerun  next weekend. One way forward is for INEC not to compromise the process and the security agencies that will be charged with ensuring a peaceful and orderly conduct of the polls not to take sides.
The people of Rivers State need free, fair and conclusive rerun poll. Our democracy will be the better for it.

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