Democracy, Elections and Nigeria: Problems and Way Forward (1)
Continued from previous post on democracy and elections
Can cosmetics help me to hide my ulterior intents?
Everyone sees right through me. Domage!
Maybe, I need a better make-up kit.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that as at 2015, the proportion of Nigerian children (aged 15 and lower) was more than twice the percentage of adults and elderly combined [7]. Children and youths make a significant chunk of the population, as such, the impact of manipulations of under-aged voting is astronomical. During the 2015 general elections, it was argued that under-aged voters participated and cast votes. Recently in Kano, there were complaints that under-aged voters (voters below the 18-year-old cut off), participated in elections and skewed the outcome of the State’s council elections. Some persons even insisted that INEC officials colluded to escalate this illegal practice. This is being investigated. And should be monitored continuously.
Given the potential impact, tackling this problem cannot be addressed lightly. Concerted efforts need to be put in place. Additional training should be provided to INEC officials involved in electorate capture. Robust civic education must be made to ensure that Nigerians are aware of implications of committing electoral offences. Everyone must know the implication of under-aged voting. On the one part, the INEC official must be made to know that he/she stands to lose his/her job immediately for promoting under-aged voting and destroying the good name of the agency. Documentations that contain age information which cannot be easily forged should also be a prerequisite for voter registration. Where there are claims of under-aged voting in a location, routine checks on the database followed by random investigation should be leveraged. Fortunately, registered voters are expected to register with active phone numbers and/or email addresses. These can be leveraged for the initial verifications.
I have a task for you, come into my house.
Do as I say, I will make you very rich.
Entrez through the back door!
Stay forever if you wish.
I do not care at all.
As stated in the previous article, improving the database system of INEC will go a long way in smoothening the electoral process (pre, during and post elections). A functional system (with end to end encryption) has direct and indirect nested potentials on information that stakeholders have access to. Currently, electorates are rarely (or rather never) contacted directly on issues that pertain to their registration. And clearly, more needs to be done. An upgraded database is an essential condition for improved feedback mechanisms. Fortunately, collaborations with service providers and well-meaning organisations can improve the general electoral process by making equilibrium the cost of just-in-time communications. Addressing this blockage will be a no brainer quick win for INEC and any of its current/potential well-meaning partnering organisation.
To win this battle, you must sail upwind.
Lack of transparency or open communication provides opportunities for rumours to be peddled. Nigerians cannot afford to be oblivious of the challenges faced within the electoral system. Below is a brief narration of a recent discussion with a Nigerian on elections. “Person x mentioned that he heard of persons transported into Nigeria from neighbouring countries to participate in the elections to skew the\ outcome. Person x insisted that Permanent Voters Cards were expressly processed for these aliens; painting an image that the electoral commission (or some persons) is/are systematically skewing the voting process (unverified). Triangulated investigations on this is critical in my opinion because if this is true, it would mean that genuine votes can be distorted. In a recent post on twitter by @inecnigeria on the 22nd of April 2018 about rumours of the “reintroduction of polling units to skew the 2019 elections”, INEC explained that Nigerians should not be worried about any potential rigging stating that reports from Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) which would influence any additional polling units are yet to be received. They insist that actions on additional polling units have not been decided.
INEC may need to improve its communication strategy; sharing information before rumours and false information are fabricated. A proactive system would go a long way in curbing challenges early on. INEC’s civic education campaign should include a grievance redress mechanism which Nigerians can access when they suspect foul play. On the part of Nigerians, concerns should be reported early. Once the right things are done by all involved, regardless of the challenges, the legitimate vote of an electorate will count, making it difficult for anyone that intends to rig because the nefarious candidate will need one more fake vote to counter a legitimate vote.
I am standing right behind you,
Trust me and close your eyes.
Let go. I will catch you.
Lastly, elections in Nigeria have been ‘do or die’ for candidates. As such, this article won’t be complete if a quick analysis of the preferred candidate for political leadership is not done. What should Nigerians look out for in an ‘ideal candidate’? During critical moments in the past, candidates were defined by demographic biases (segmentation based on age, sex, economic status, level of education, income level and employment, amongst others.), spatial/geographic/ethnic biases (segmentation based on ethnicity, residency, places of origin amongst others), or religious biases (segmentation based on faith; Christianity, Islam, Traditional religion, Atheism amongst others). Progressives on the other hand argue that the ideal candidate should be astute and able to create a vision and a blueprint to lead Nigeria to Eldorado. Sadly, while this position is commendable, it is next to impossible to know if candidates have sincerity of purpose. We often get an array of persons who promise, fail and then champion double standards, insisting that expectations of voters should be managed. In my opinion, a critical yardstick for assessment in addition to that of the progressives is precedence. What someone has done with little things will exemplify what he/she will achieve with bigger things; from tangible results and intangible results that touch lives of citizens (not high-profile conference room results). Then again, even this can be manipulated. This is the beauty of democracy.
If I don’t catch you and you fall,
You probably fell too soon,
Give me another chance.
Get involved in #NigeriaElectoralProcess. #NigeriaWakeUp
By Sylvanus Nabena and Oghenevwiere Irikefe
Twitter: @slynabena
Notes:
[7] National Bureau of Statistics (2015). Demographic Statistics Bulletin 2015. FCT, Abuja: Demographic Statistics Division, p.1.
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