•  Leon H. Sullivan Foundation

   

  Electoral Commission Disappoints

  In First Round of Nigerian Elections

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The just concluded state elections in the Federal Republic of Nigeria have revealed significant flaws in Nigeria’s electoral process that should be urgently addressed before this Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.  The last two Leon H. Sullivan Summits were held in Nigeria, and the Sullivan Foundation has a profound interest in the future of the country and the well-being of its people. The Foundation believes that the upcoming elections will have a critical impact on Nigeria and indeed on the future of Africa.

“The April elections in Nigeria hold out great promise for the country and for other countries on the African continent.  They set an historical precedent for Nigeria and could serve as a beacon of sustainable, stable, constitutional democracy in Africa,” said Howard F. Jeter, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation.  “It is imperative that Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) correct the problems uncovered in the first round of its elections so that the election outcome has the broadest possible acceptance and legitimacy with Nigerian voters, as well as with the international community.”

It is widely perceived both inside and outside Nigeria that there were serious problems that surfaced during the April 14th gubernatorial and state assembly elections.  These failings must be addressed in order to make the April 21st polls credible and acceptable to the Nigerian people.  The elections should be as inclusive as possible so that no political actor believes that he or she has been unfairly shut out.

First, INEC must effectively manage the logistical and administrative challenges that the April 21st elections will present.  During last week’s elections, it was anticipated that some polling stations would open late and others would have issues with insufficient voting materials.  However, the scale and scope of these problems were much larger than even the most dire predictions of diehard skeptics and cynics.  It is INEC’s duty to prove the cynics wrong.    

Second, serious political violence marred the April 14th electoral process in practically every geo-political zone in Nigeria, with unacceptable levels of violence in the oil-producing South-South, the South East, and several areas in the North.  Reports from across the country indicate that at least 60 persons were killed in election-related violence, including seven policemen in Port Harcourt, alone. Ballot boxes were stolen in transit from the polls to collation centers and several polling stations were invaded by political thugs.  Three innocent voters were killed by drive-by shooters in Edo State.  INEC and law enforcement agencies have acknowledged being unprepared for such incidents but have vowed better performance during the April 21st polls.

Third, INEC’s handling of election observers raises serious questions about its commitment to free, fair, and transparent elections. The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Nigeria’s leading election watchdog, had mobilized more than 10,000 observers for elections in the 36 states, but only 1,000 observer badges were issued by INEC, the TMG stated.  The paucity of accredited independent observers will be a major issue in any post-election challenges.

“INEC has taken responsibility for the procedural shortcomings in last Saturday’s elections and has vowed that serious deficiencies will not be repeated in the April 21st polls.  We can only hope so. If INEC honors its commitment, this will be good news for Nigeria and a promising harbinger for Nigerian democracy and better days ahead,” Jeter said.