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There is tension in the polity as no fewer than 87.2m voters step out to elect the president and members of the 469 two-chamber National Assembly, tomorrow.

The election will not hold in Enugu East, one of the 109 senatorial districts following the assassination of Labour Party, LP, Candidate, Mr. Oyibo Chukwu, by yet-to-be-identified persons on Wednesday.

LP National Chairman, Comrade Julius Abure, said Chukwu was gruesomely murdered and his remains set ablaze along with his vehicle. “The gunmen according to reports also killed five of his supporters who were with him inside his car at Amechi Awkunanaw, Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu.

According to the law, the poll must be postponed to allow the LP to nominate a replacement

Section 34 (1) and (3) of the Electoral Act 2022 says;”  If a nominated candidate dies before the elections begin, the elections will be rescheduled within 14 days, by the chief national electoral commissioner of INEC.”

Apart from the killing of the LP candidate, the polity has been witnessing pockets of violence, and attacks on police stations and facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, especially in the South-East among others in recent times.

The Inter Party Advisory Council, IPAC, has attributed the tension in the polity to the winner takes all system of Nigeria’s electioneering process.

This was as the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State petitioned  petitioned the European Union Elections Observer Mission in Nigeria, Ambassadors and High Commissioners of the United States, Great Britain, the European Union, African Union and other International bodies over alleged compromise of government institutions in the state and the police ahead of the general elections.

IGP warns hoodlums, restricts movement on Election Day

To ensure credible and violence-free elections, the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, has ordered restriction of all forms of vehicular movements on roads, waterways, and other forms of transportation, from 12am to 6pm on Election Day.

This was revealed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement on Wednesday.

Adejobi said: “In view of the 2023 general elections, the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled to hold on Saturday, February 25, 2023 across all states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, the IG, Usman Baba, has ordered a restriction of all forms of vehicular movements on roads, waterways, and other forms of transportation, from 12am to 6pm on election day with the exception of those on essential services such as INEC officials, electoral observers, ambulances responding to medical emergencies, firefighters, etc.”

The order, according him, was part of measures put in place to ensure a safe, secure, and conducive environment for the conduct of elections.

He added that it would ensure  public order management, safety of the electorate, as well as assist security agencies in effective policing, thereby preventing hoodlums and criminally-minded elements from disrupting the electoral process.

Adejobi continued: “Similarly, the IG sternly warns all security aides and escorts to desist from accompanying their principals and politicians to polling booths and collation centres during the election as anyone found flouting this directive will be severely sanctioned.

“He emphasises that only security personnel specifically assigned to election duties are to be seen within and around the designated election booths and centres.

“Also, the ban on unauthorised use of sirens, revolving lights, covered number plates, and tinted glasses is still in force, and violators would be sanctioned appropriately.

“All state-established and owned security outfits/organisations, quasi-security units, and privately-owned guard and security outfits are also barred from participating in election security management.”

“He however warns that the NPF will deal decisively with any individual or group(s) that might want to test our common resolve and might to ensure a peaceful election.

“The IG, therefore, enjoins all citizens to shun vote-buying, vote-selling, hate speech, misinformation, and disinformation, snatching of ballot boxes, and other criminal act(s) as the Force and other security agencies will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all violators of extant laws, most especially the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), are brought to book.”

The IG urged the electorate to be law-abiding and turn out en masse to exercise their franchise.

Why tension is high – IPAC

The IPAC said that winner takes all syndromes among politicians, where no room is given for losers in political contests usually results in desperation to clinch power at all cost by candidates and their supporters.

Deputy National chairman of IPAC, Maxwell Mgbudem, stated this while addressing the 2023 presidential candidates of various political parties at the International Conference Center, ICC, Abuja, and cautioned politicians that no victory is worth the blood of any Nigerian. 

His words: “Election, as observed every four years, is a high level call to civic obligations on Nigerian citizens, to make choices of leaders, who will administer the country and spearhead the distribution of dividends of democracy to the people.  

“Thus, the stakes are really high, especially against the background of an entrenched zero sum political culture in our Nation; in which the winner takes it all. Distinguished leaders and elders, this can explain the tension and inflamed passion witnessed between candidates and their supporters ahead of this all important election.” 

While pointing out that the essence of signing of the Peace Accord signifies collective resolve and commitment to ensure that the 2023 general election is bloodless, Mgbudem enjoined them to abide by the letters of the Oath they took.

The IPAC leader cautioned political gladiators and their army of supporters that no inflamed passion over high political stakes is worth setting the country on fire, adding that any consideration capable of causing wanton destruction of lives and properties should best be avoided.

APC petitions  EU, UK, AU others, over alleged police compromise in Rivers 

Meanwhile, the APC in Rivers State said it has petitioned the European Union Elections Observer Mission in Nigeria, Ambassadors and High Commissioners of the United States, Great Britain, the European Union, African Union and other International bodies over alleged compromise of government institutions in the state ahead of the general elections.

APC also expressed doubts on the neutrality of police in the state during the general elections, alleging that police, some INEC staff had been bought over by the state government.

The Spokesman APC Campaign Council, Rivers State Sogbeye Eli, in a statement noted that the alleged compromise of the police in Rivers State under CP Okon Effiong Okon had exposed the APC to attacks during their campaigns, noting that the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, campaigned without a single attack.

Eli said: “The events of the last few days have further reinforced our fear and concerns for the lives of our members with the Nigeria Police now an effective tool in the hands of the enemies of democracy. 

“As we speak, Hon. Ephraim Nwuzi is cooling his heels in prison since the gestapo raid on his Port Harcourt residence by fiercely armed Police officers. 

“A member of the House of Representatives was arrested by the Police and hounded into jail on spurious allegations within six hours; the same Police that are unable to unravel one incident or arrest anyone out of the lot the Rivers APC reported.

Alleging that police big shots deployed to Rivers State for election duties were hobnobbing with the state government, the APC said: “Consequently, we have petitioned the European Union Elections Observer Mission in Nigeria, Ambassadors and High Commissioners of the United States, Great Britain, the European Union, African Union, the International Criminal Court at the Hague and local human rights advocacy groups.” 

There’ll be consequences for choices we make—Igini

Indeed, former Commissioner with the INEC, Barrister Mike Igini has advised Nigerians to choose wisely the kind of person they will entrust their destinies.

  Igini, who was the immediate past Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in-charge of Akwa Ibom State, admonished Nigerians to bear in mind that there will be consequences for the choices they will be making tomorrow and in other polls.

  In a statement titled: “A reminder on what Nigerians need to know about INEC procedures”, he said:    “The votes of the people now count more than ever before and that is why politicians are desperate to buy votes. We must all bear in mind that there will be consequences for the choices that you will make in all these elections for the next four or eight years.

  “You must be guided in your decision of your choice by the kind of Nigeria you want to see and leave and those who can lead the way for us collectively to achieve our desires in this country. You all must come out to vote and fix the politics in order to fix the economy”. 

  Continuing, he said, “In the last six months, l have, as part of my continuing contribution to give meaning and purpose to the ballot as the best means of the expression of the will of people in a democracy, embarked on weekly Live public education and enlightenment on electronic platforms freely provided by the management of Arise, AIT, Channels, TVC, Silverbird   television stations   as well a print media on what the Nigerian people need to know about the 2022 Electoral Act and INEC’s innovations and procedures that have put voters at the centre of our electoral democracy and candidates at the periphery on Election Day.

  “The grave error or mistake of decades of failure to recognize the primacy or centrality of politics and political processes both internal and external in shaping state goals and development outcomes is what has brought us to where we are today. Go out on Saturday and vote. 

  “The election of Saturday is a general election for the people of this country to decide the future. This is not a delegate primary election of political parties that delegates are given special dress to wear like prisoners, locked up in a hotel, not to be spoken to by anyone and driven to the venue to vote as directed. 

  “On Saturday, all Nigerian voters are not required to go to INEC offices nor political party offices to take directive from anyone to tell you who to vote for on that day. That is why shock and lamentation await politicians that want to rely on vote buying that will have no meaningful impact on the outcome of the 2023 election.

  “Giving the new re-awakening and consciousness by Nigerians as evidenced by the share number of registered voters (93.4million) many of whom are tired and fed up of a country with so much potential for greatness but largely undermined by leadership problem. What will happen on Saturday if Nigerians carry further their anger, pains, hunger and frustration to the polling units? The 2023 election will be an electoral revolution, the type of which, we have never witnessed in our recorded history. 

  “The outcome of the 2023 election will be determined emphatically by the youths of this country who are above seventy million (70,473,990) on the voter’s register. Similarly, the entire presiding officers/Assistant presiding officers, seven hundred thousand three hundred and  eighty four (707,384) out of the total one  million plus ad hoc staff  that will man all polling units and conduct the Saturday election are currently serving youth corps members (NYSC) who are themselves youths that are demanding a new deal on the leadership challenge of our country.

  “This Saturday election will tell how history and posterity will record the youths of Nigeria, whether they will betray or fulfill the mission and challenge of  their own generation given their demographic voting strength and the fact that they are the ones to conduct the election.”

  He further said, “The 2022 Electoral Act, INEC’S innovations and procedures have put effective power on Election Day on voters to determine the winner of the election, power has been returned to the Nigerian people, all the provisions of the Electoral Act since 2002 such as sections 49,53 and 65 (2010) that promoted and supported election rigging and manipulation for over twenty years have all been repealed.

    “Accreditation with the use of the BVAS machine is mandatory and compulsory to ensure the principle of one-person-one-vote. There is no more use of  “incident form” because confirmation of a voter is made easy with “facial accreditation” and four other methods. There is nothing like “pre-loading” of BVAS machines that fraudulent ICT so-called experts on the streets and perhaps some unscrupulous staff of INEC have been telling politicians to make millions from them. 

  “The BVAS makes it impossible for election riggers to use difficult terrain whether in upland or riverine areas to produce fake votes that are not real. Under the current system, all species of fish like cat fish, tilapia etc that used to vote in previous elections must appear before the BVAS machine on Saturday and subsequent elections for accreditation. 

  “The Polling unit is now where elections are won and lost, the era of someone   losing elections at the polling unit but suddenly becomes a winner at Ward and LGA collation centres are gone and over under the current system.  Polling units are the places where Nigerians will vote on Saturday to decide the future of Nigeria.   At the end of the election at each polling unit on Saturday, a new register   of voters based accreditation   at every polling unit will emerge irrespective of the total number of Registered voters.

  Under section 51 of the 2022 Act, computation of total number of valid votes and over-voting are now based on total accreditation number instead of registered number of voters as was the case in the repealed Act that politicians used for two decades to subvert the will of Nigerian voters through rigging and manipulation of the outcome of election.

  “The law has changed and politicians can no longer use “total number of registered voters” to   vote on behalf of those who have died, “Japa” and un-interested citizens whose names are on the national register of voters.

    “In the current system, it is only those who actually came out to be accredited that matter and that is the reason Nigerians have not been hearing of “inconclusive” elections that was almost becoming the norm sometime ago. Thus, no “bankable” votes for anyone but votes of those who actually came to the polling unit and accredited to vote on Saturday.

    “Every result declared at the polling unit will be uploaded to the public election result viewing portal for the whole world to see which makes it difficult to change or alter. That is why all candidates by now should have set up their situation rooms for their party agents that will be at polling units given duplicates of election result FORM EC8A to immediately snap same and send to their respective situation rooms for collation without having to wait for INEC but they cannot make a declaration of the winner of election. 

  “The BVAS has eliminated the fraudulent practice/organized crime of sharing “un-used ballot papers” thumb printed and arbitrarily allocated by party agents in connivance with poll officials after the close of the poll. The effective power to lead and govern has been restored to the Nigerian people and hope is re-born in you to use this election to bring about a re-birth of a new Nigeria.” 

He said that he was impressed by the current unprecedented level of awareness, energy and determination by Nigerians, many of whom returned to the country from different parts of the world to use this forthcoming Saturday election to make a bold statement to the empirical world that they will no longer accept the misfortune created by our elites as their fortune.

“Collectively, we all must put an end to the struggle to build individual paradises yet we live in a common hell. We must go about this election peacefully and eschew violence that has no place in a democracy. The greatest promise of democracy is the peaceful transfer of power from one government to another. 

“The president and Commander-in-chief of the armed forces have at different fora charged officers and men of the various Security agencies to be neutral, apolitical, firm, protect and defend this democracy. The anti-democratic activities of thugs and other extra-constitutional actors that will undermine the integrity of our elections must be contained.

  “The greatest legacy that will be written down by historians for  President Muhammadu Buhari and for which he will be remembered by history would be that of a free, fair and credible election that produces an outcome that reflected the will of the Nigerian people. As l have said repeatedly, my interest and  votary at all times is a credible, fair  process while the electorate determines outcomes.”