Will today’s election witness voter apathy?

There are fears that today’s election will witness a high degree of voter apathy as Nigerians have complained that having travelled  to their respective villages on Saturday last week only to learn, the next day, that the elections had been postponed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). PAUL OKAH feels the pulse of Nigerians on the likely participation of voters in the election today.

Credibility more important

Well, INEC chairman said it was no longer feasible to proceed with the election last Saturday, a decision he announced by 2:45am Saturday. The materials meant for the elections meant to arrive three months ago arrived in Nigeria last Friday. However, if shifting the elections would lead to the conduct of an election Nigerians would be proud of, it is okay by me. The credibility of these elections is what matters now. The outside world wants to see us grow into a real democracy. One way to show we have matured is that we can vouch for the credibility of the electoral process. Even on Saturday, I will still support postponement if the credibility will be threatened.

 Musa Bello, legal practitioner

Apathy possible

There were a lot of indications on the postponement of the elections by INEC last week: seen and unseen. Before the Saturday postponement, INEC had indicated unpreparedness for the elections. In some states, INEC materials were missing in action. Offices were being burnt. The security of INEC staff was not guaranteed. It was also obvious that returning officers in some states were not trained. If returning officers and ad hoc staff were not trained in some states, how does INEC tend to recruit them? Those were the unseen things.

The unseen things are many. We already saw the tempo of the two dominant political parties – PDP and APC. With the hate speech everywhere, it was as if the two parties were ready for war. They were not only ready to snatch ballot boxes; they were equally ready to carryout decisive, unprogressive crisis that will end in electoral violence. Their statements online, offline and campaigns were inciting violence amongst the people. Rather than focus on issues, these persons engaged in blame games, hurling insults at each other.  This necessitated the postponement.

It was glaring on voting day that voters had decided and certain political parties were not at peace with this decision. There was mass movement of people from urban to rural areas where they registered. It was the first time in the history of Nigeria. It did not happen in 2015 general elections, as there was a wide gap of political apathy. The voter apathy and voided votes from 1999 to 2011 tripled itself. But in 2019, the people eager to vote and who collected their PVCs moved massively to their villages, showing a reversal of apathy to activities.

 It also indicated that people were no longer ready for vote-buying because of the sensitisation from the media, civil society and political parties, whether directly or indirectly. Nevertheless, the postponement will lead to apathy, which is the grand plan of political entrepreneurs. They have in mind to create political apathy so that elections can be rigged in favour of any political party that has the rigging mechanism. The postponement is now a test for rigging potentiality. The APC and PDP are trading accusations of having devised a rigging method. Whatever the rigging method, the two parties have attested to the fact that they have rigging plans. Whoever is rigging should know that the people themselves will not allow it. When there is apathy, rigging will be possible, but impossible with empathy because people will come out enmasse. 

Our ability as activists and civil society actors, the media, civil rights movement, the government sector, the international community, and election observers is to continue to encourage these people who are taking their time to right the wrongs of their nation to go back to their respective communities and cast their votes on Saturday. It should not be business as usual for these politicians. For the first time, let Nigerians decide to express their grievances through the power of the ballot. Let Nigerians decide that if you mess up in an administration, we will have the power to remove you in the next political dispensation. Nigerians should be encouraged, not violently, to go to their respective polling units to cast their votes, wait for their votes to be counted, so that them themselves can record their votes. That way, those who want to snatch and stuff ballot boxes will be recorded. The hand of the law will also catch up with ballot box snatchers. The only way this can be possible is when you increase political empathy and not apathy. This is where they can right that wrong.

Carl Oshodi, chairperson of AYUC

Postponement costly

Unfortunately, the postponement of elections last week did not only pose reputational risk on INEC as an institution, but also on the personality of the INEC chairman, who assured everyone that there would never be any election postponement. It casts a huge integrity question mark on him. In addition to the economic consequences arising from the lost of productivity on that day, it brings so much economic risk to any future business dealings. Those who fixed programmes on the 23rd February are already at a loss. For those planning on any transactions with both domestic and international organisations, it is a huge risk to do any transaction in February and March, 2019.

The postponement would have compensating implications. First, it would lead to voter apathy. If you recall, many people travelled from different locations to participate in the botched elections. For those people, they may not participate in the rescheduled elections. However, for those who took the postponement as an administrative rigging mechanism by the ruling party, they will come out in their numbers to ensure that the ruling party does not win the elections. Nigerians are tired of election rigging – administratively, technical and outrightly. They now have an understanding that it is easier to rig when less people vote. 2019 elections have so many surprises…only time would reveal them.

As for the death threat by president Buhari, it is an invitation to anarchy. It is painful when someone entrusted with the protection of the constitution turns out to become the one violating this same constitution and laws he swore to uphold and protect at all times.

Chiwuike Uba, ACUF’s executive director

Psyche of Nigerians affected

Nigerians are presently demoralised and may not come out on Saturday.

Postponement of an election by one week is too much. It isn’t really about the literal definition of the duration of the time itself, but rather the kind of joke this kind of thing makes Nigeria look like. For something as serious as general elections, into which tonnes of money and man power have been poured, it is expected that at least a week ago they would have assessed the situation on ground and announce postponement at least three days before. Do you think the steam with which people approached Saturday’s polls can be rekindled? Most folks who travelled for this election, do you think they might bother on Saturday? Our entire socio-economic psyche has been completely turned upside down, owing to the elections and now this postponement.

In a nutshell, I won’t be surprised if there is a low turnout on Saturday.

Francis Chukwu, businessman

Nigerians should vote

The postponement of elections by INEC is really an issue of concern. Nobody saw it coming. We were always assured by INEC that they were ready and that Nigerians will witness the most credible elections ever. While we pray and hope so, I am particularly concerned about Saturday’s (today) elections. As you are aware, the postponement caused a lot of hardship on the people. Business opportunities were lost. People were stranded in their social lives, as some had fixed wedding or traditional marriage ceremonies for February 23, with the belief that the elections would hold on Saturday last week, only for the elections to be shifted. How then do you compensate the people? How will you assure them that it will hold this Saturday?

Go to social media, it became a huge joke, with people saying that you have to consult INEC before you can do anything on Saturdays. Nevertheless, I want to implore people to come out and vote, particularly because I am involved in the election. As the YPP candidate for AMAC/Bwari constituency for the House of Representatives election, I was particularly affected by the postponement, as we had committed resources to the elections. Nevertheless, what we need at this time is to be prayerful, dogged and understanding. Instead of condemning INEC, let’s pray for peaceful elections. I know that I will win on Saturday as I have better pedigree compared to my opponents, but voters should comport themselves and conduct themselves in an orderly manner.

There should be no apathy, come out, vote, wait for your vote to be counted before leaving the polling unit.

Adetunji Adeyeye, YPP AMAC/Bwari HoR candidate

State of emergency election

I am not sure that there will be voter apathy on Saturday. Instead, people will feel secured to come out en mass to exercise their franchise. What PMB did with the order for security agencies to shoot political thugs is a declaration of state of emergency on the 2019 general elections. He did it based on what was hitherto witnessed, as thugs usually kill innocent voters while trying to snatch ballot boxes. Therefore, based on that, the shoot at sight presidential order is relevant.

PMB is aware that he has automatically declared state of emergency and that’s why he stands with it. It should not discourage voters from coming out to vote on Saturday. The people who should be afraid are the ballot box snatchers.

Esther Okon, legal practitioner

Voters shouldn’t be discouraged

I pray that voters should not be discouraged to vote. Their votes will enthrone social justice. This is the essence of the sacrifices we made last Saturday, and which we’re still called to make on the 23rd of February when we are expected to cast our votes. When we make the right choices with our votes by electing representatives who know their onions, then we’re already contributing our quota towards enthroning social justice. This way, your mere participation in the electoral process becomes a powerful tool for social engineering. You get to select the right leaders. We’re all human first, before any social title and position and that is why we all matter.  For those of you who traveled from far and near to cast your votes last Saturday, the sacrifice will not be in vain as it counts as a worthy contribution towards making the right choice for your community. God will be with us as we travel down to our various constituencies and cast our votes on Saturday.

Idu Igariwey, House of Representatives member.

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