THE indecisiveness of the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, has ensured that two weeks to the elections, the list of candidates remains a conjecture. INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega has admitted that a syndicate in INEC was fiddling with the list, he promised to handle the matter.

Jega last November told a round table that INEC had documented 87 ways in which politicians rigged elections. Illegal substitution of names, which is going on in INEC, was not one of the 87 ways. There could be more.

“The truth remains that the main trajectories of rigging elections in Nigeria have been well documented and studied and can be effectively countered. Personal integrity, improvement of resource management and development of effective strategies for combating that would combine technology, administrative measure and public monitoring will be demonstrated by INEC,” Jega said.

INEC may be unaware that rigging has started. Most top party officials shut out opponents through illegal congresses. INEC was quiet. While INEC is promising free, fair elections, and expect its strategies would minimise the number of post-electoral matters at tribunals, pre-election cases, many resulting from INEC’s tardiness are increasing.

Why is INEC accepting court orders on some candidates and refusing to implement others? When will it produce the final list of candidates?

Technology alone cannot stop rigging. Jega, four months ago, hinted at problems but trusted technology to confront them. “It is not our skills, knowledge, and experience that will make the electoral process successful.

Instead, our actions will make or mar the process. Consequently, it is our resolve in INEC to be guided by the fundamental principles enunciated in our mission statement document namely: transparency, integrity, credibility, impartiality, and dedication.

We will be firm, fair and forthright in all we do. We shall not do the wrong things, we shall not encourage others to do the wrong things and we shall stop those who choose to do the wrong things.

“The significance of the new software is that it will tackle many of the lingering challenges that had questioned the credibility of our voters’ register. The system will no doubt lead to improvements in the accuracy and convenience with which the register can be revised and updated. There are comprehensive guidelines for registrations,” Jega said.

Little doubts exist about technology compounding the challenges before INEC. The new registration regime has created unanticipated situations. INEC, on its part, seems unable to pinpoint the problems. Rigging may be only one of them.

The plethora of court orders that has besieged the INEC makes nonsense of whatever efforts parties put at their primaries. Courts, with recent apprehensions about their roles in elections mediation, are playing bigger parts in pre-election disputes, a poor verdict on the performance of the parties and INEC, their monitor. The cases will continue well after the votes are cast.

We should brace up for elections won in courts and not at the polls. Will that be votes counting or a new rigging method that escaped INEC?