Babangida Aliyu, ex-Niger governor, says ‘irregularities’ in presidential poll caused voter apathy

Babangida Aliyu, former governor of Niger state, says the low turnout of voters in some polling units was due to the inability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to meet citizens’ expectations in the presidential and national assembly polls.

Aliyu spoke with journalists on Saturday after voting at his polling unit in Audu Bunu, Chanchaga LGA, Niger state.

The governorship and house of assembly elections are currently taking place in 28 states.

The bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) and the result viewing portal (IREV) did not perform up to expectations during February 25  elections despite assurances by INEC that the technologies would improve the transparency of the electoral process.

The former governor said doubts over transparency in the last election have dampened the hopes of voters.

He advised residents of the state to participate in the political process by voting.

“With what happened with the result of the 25th election, I will not be happy because BVAS were supposed to be used and they were not used. Even in Niger state, we saw where BVAS was not used but results came out, people were more than even the voting population,’ he said.

“Therefore, Nigerians, if we see apathy that people didn’t come out as we expect, it will be as a result of what happened on the 25th.

“People’s vote must count before democracy would be effective in this country. I saw a television programme where some people were trying to justify that rigging had been going on since independence.

“When something bad happens, must it become the political culture of this country? No, we must correct it.

“The confidence of the people was based on all the assurances that the chairman of INEC gave about using machines and electronic voting and then posting these things directly to the server but that did not happen. And some people were coming out to say that the chairman has the power to decide what to do.

“Why did you tell us that you will use BVAS and not use them? But that is for the court to decide.

“But for today, I am still expecting that people will come out but if they don’t, it could be justified on the basis that I have voted but what I voted was not what we saw at the end of the day.

“We must continue to encourage Nigerians that democracy is the only way that people can participate actively.

Aliyu advised political parties to properly train their party agents to perform their duty of keeping  a watchful eye on the electoral process.