Laraba MUREY
The Centre for Democracy and Development’s Election Analysis Centre, CDD-EAC, has released a damning report on the just-concluded off-cycle elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states, highlighting disconcerting array of abuses and irregularities during the exercise.
Chairman of CDD-EAC, Prof Adele Jinadu, who presented a report of the centre at a briefing in Abuja on Monday, shaded light on key challenges that casted a shadow over the electoral process.
Jinadu said the report underscored the urgent need for electoral reforms, and emphasised the urgency for political parties to assume more responsible roles, even as it called for collective effort to strengthen and safeguard the democratic process.
“The report highlighted Abuse of Incumbency” as a major concern, with governing parties wielding power to gain unfair advantages. Tactics such as unequal access to state electronic media, misuse of state resources for electioneering, and manipulation of party primaries diminished the credibility of the off-cycle elections.
“Identity Politics played a pivotal role in the nomination process, taking forms such as ethnic configurations and geographical zoning. The danger lies in the potential for such politics to escalate into ethnic profiling and violent conflicts, further jeopardizing the democratic process.
“Voter Inducement was prevalent, including instances of vote-buying in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi. Alleged distribution of goods and cash, as well as financial transactions involving INEC ad-hoc staff, raised serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.
“Information Disorder added complexity to the challenging electoral landscape, with disinformation circulating, creating confusion with false claims of candidate withdrawals and disqualifications.
“Insecurity and Violence were witnessed amid political conflicts, cultism, and insurgencies. Incidents of violence, including alleged ballot snatchings and violent altercations at collation centers, heightened fears around the security of the electoral process.
“Institutional Challenges, were noted as INEC faced delays, technical glitches, and result sheet issues. While security agencies appeared effective on election day, the failure of political parties to manage disputes emerged as a significant threat to electoral democracy,” he said.
On political progress in Nigeria or adopting a one-term system, Jinadu stated that the problem lies not in having two terms but in political parties behaving in ways that undermine democracy.
He emphasized scrutinizing elements in the political environment posing challenges to democratic conduct and urged Nigerians to question parties, recognizing them as part of the problem and cease enabling their diversion from essential issues.
He further highlighted the parties’ consistent undermining of electoral legitimacy and evasion of reforms by perpetuating a cycle of amendments to the electoral act every four years in the National Assembly.
“The problem lies not in having two terms; rather, political parties behave in a way that suggests a deliberate undermining of democracy. The mass media seemingly encourages them by granting them preferential speaking time. It is crucial to scrutinize elements in the political environment posing challenges to democratic conduct.
“The parties themselves deviate from the democratic ideal and wield disproportionate influence. Nigerians should question these parties, recognizing them as part of the problem, and cease enabling their diversion from essential issues. They consistently undermine electoral legitimacy, evading reforms by perpetuating a cycle of amendments to the electoral act every four years in the National Assembly, ” he said.