We averted chaos by shifting presidential poll – INEC

National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voters Education, of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Festus Okoye, has opened up on real reasons the 2019 general election was postponed on the eve of the polls.

Okoye said external influences, rather than internal forces, were responsible for INEC’s inability to conduct election as scheduled.

While speaking on the topic: “Dynamics and Mechanics of Free and Fair Elections,” in Kaduna, yesterday, as guest speaker at 6th Catholic Men Organization (CMO) and Fathers Day celebration, Saint Joseph Catholic Cathedral, Okoye faulted some impressions that the Federal Government influenced the election postponement.

The INEC national commissioner said if the election had not been shifted, the country would have been plunged into chaos, and pointed out that the only option left for the electoral umpire to save the country from violence was to swallow its pride and apologised to Nigerians over the postponement.

Okoye further gave a run down of reasons behind the postponement.

“The amended electoral bill was transmitted to the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria close to the election.

“Planning in uncertainty. The Electoral Management Body did not know whether electronic voting would be used and there were provisions in the new bill that needed to be explained and mastered.

“Procurement   issues   and non-delivery   of   few materials to the end users created uncertainty, in terms of the   security   of   materials   and   the   capacity   of   INEC   to deliver credible elections. Ballot papers and result sheets were printed outside the country and their delivery on good time became huge issue.

“Rescheduling   of   the   2019   elections   on   account   of logistic   challenges   and   the   backlash   that   followed   the rescheduling:   Political   parties   incurred   costs,  INEC incurred costs, the Nigerian people incurred costs. Some travelled   long   distances   to   vote.   Some   just   disengaged from the electoral process.

“Opaque Party Primaries and political uncertainty:  Some of the political parties breached clear provisions of the law in the conduct of party primaries and inundated the courts with cases arising therefrom.

“The   burning   of   INEC   offices,   facilities   and   equipment procured   and   packaged   for   the   2019   elections   created setbacks and the Commission was forced to rationalise or do emergency procurement.

“The intimidation, maiming and killing of INEC staff and the   collation   of   false   and   procedure   results   and declaration of unintended winners.

“The desperation of the political elite in corrupting INEC staff, buying votes, by-passing of, not using the smart card readers and other unwholesome electoral malpractices (also affected the election). In some instances, INEC could not deploy or deploy on time and voters disengaged from the process.

“Some security personnel performed creditably while some jumped  into   the   muddy   waters   of   partisan   politics   and assisted their preferred candidates.”

However, Okoye suggested some ways forward for the electoral process, when he said that condition   for      registration   of   political   parties must   be   altered  because the   present framework is inadequate to guarantee credible political parties.

He said: “Section 285 of the Constitutio,n relating to the conditions for      de-registration   of   political   parties   must   be altered   as   it   is   ambiguous   and   leaves   room   for multiple   interpretations,   considering   the   staggered nature  of our electoral process and the different layers of contest.

“Section 87 and 31 of the Electoral Act should be altered, giving   INEC the   power   to   reject   the   nominated   candidates   of political parties that did not conduct party primaries or breached the intendment of section 87 of the ElectoralAct.

“The   Electoral   Act   should   be   amended   giving   the Commission   the   exclusive   right   to   determine   when   to apply   certain   types   of   technology   in   the   electoral process.

“A  gradual   and   graduated   process   of   imputing technology   in   the   electoral   process   will   enable   pilot studies   to   take   care   of   bling   spots,   cyber   security, training of personnel and deployment of technology.

“The Commission will review its result sheets and results transmission   mechanism;   to   make   them   more   user-friendly and more transparent.

“The Commission will continue to deploy technology for the purpose of improving the credibility of the Voters’ Register and Nigerians must assist the Commission in reporting multiple registrants,   under-age   registrants   and   persons   who   have passed   on,   especially   during   the   display   of   the   voters’ register; for claims and objections.

“The   Commission   will   make   the   continuous   voter’s registration a truly continuous voters’ registration, enabling those who turn 18 to be registered.”

Earlier, CMO Chairman,  Mr. George Igwesi, said the health of his members was  among the primary focus of the organisation, hence, the the event was organised to raise funds for a medical endowment fund.