The demystification of Jega’s INEC

No matter the way the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) spins it, the ongoing third phase of permanent voters card distribution exercise is a failure. Yes, such failure that no level of reassurance or press releases can clean up the mess that the exercise has turned to.

It is also an appropriate period to start looking closely at the commission headed by former radical university lecturer, Attahiru Jega, who seemingly, has been afforded wide latitude by the media than he deserves. Fine, it can be argued that just one exercise does not make a failure but a critical look at INEC should make all of us worried if it can lead Nigerians across the Red Sea of 2015 general elections. Gradually, we are discovering that INEC under the former Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) president might not be radically different from the way it used to be.

Before the exercise was extended on Sunday, November 9, it was crystal clear that it had become an unmitigated disaster. From the late arrival of materials and ad-hoc staff – read National Youth Service Corps members – and the non-availability of the so-called permanent cards and the postponement of the exercise in nine local government areas in Lagos State, INEC simply was not ready for the exercise. Morning shows the day, the English say, and that’s why we must blow the trumpet on the Commission’s bumbling steps. The flip-flop from INEC is also why we must begin to interrogate the Jega-led administration more than we have done. His honeymoon period seems to be everlasting, with Nigerians not interested in scrutinizing his actions as we head towards the all-important February 14, 2015 presidential election.

Perhaps we are focusing on the Commission now because of the fact that Lagos State is included in the third phase of the card distribution exercise? Even though I do not share the apprehension of Governor Babatunde Fashola that INEC deliberately delisted over one million voters from the Lagos State list, one is worried that an exercise originally scheduled for September but postponed till November is still mired in confusion and complaints across the 11 local government areas. The tepid excuse regarding the inability of contractors engaged by INEC in the PVC distribution exercise is symptomatic of most things wrong with us as a nation. I’m sure there’s a legal department in INEC and it must surely know what to do when contractors default in their contractual obligations but that is if we believed Prof. Jega and his staff.

Hear Adekunle Ogunmola, the Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, “This delay was not caused by the people, it was caused by INEC. “Most of the materials that we need are supplied by the headquarters and without receiving those materials there is very little we can do. So, we got some of these materials very late and the materials will require printing and they are quite voluminous.”

This does not show a Commission that was adequately prepared for such a serious exercise and typically Nigerian; nobody will take the rap for bungling such an important step in this exercise.

Let’s step back a little bit. Three years ago, we were all caught up in a frenzy of ‘direct data capture machine’ which as it turned out was an exotic name for low grade HP computers with a webcam that INEC imported to take our pictures for the cards they are distributing currently. Just imagine the days we wasted over the registration exercise and surprisingly, we are again wasting days in collecting the cards. By the way, who coined that phrase ‘permanent voter’s card’ and what exactly does it mean? Some questions are pertinent at this stage: why can’t we function the way other normal societies do? Why must we have designated days to register or collect voter’s cards? Can’t we have continuous registration of intending voters so that we just update the list whenever new names are added to the register?

It is worthy noting that the National Council of State unanimously approved Jega’s nomination after President Goodluck Jonathan nominated him on June 8, 2010. Politicians across the divide endorse his nomination and the Senate cleared him. Early this year, however, Jega’s major cry was that the N45 billion earmarked by the Budget Office would not be enough for INEC’s operations in 2014 and that’s why the Commission requested N63.8 billion. With what we have seen, it’s doubtful if more money is what INEC requires. We need to question the Commission’s capacity and ability to conduct the elections scheduled for next year. Daily, the 2015 elections grow in importance and value to our corporate existence as a nation, so we cannot afford to bungle it. The umpire requires help obviously and all of us must keep it on its toes.