By Emmanuel Edukugho

For the first time ever, University Vice Chancellors were massively involved in the electoral process as chief collation officers for the 36 states and FCT in the just concluded presidential election. And they performed excellently well in an election seen as the most credible, free, fair and transparent since June 12, 1993.

Prof Jega, INEC Chairman and President Jonathan

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, himself former Vice Chancellor, Bayero University, Kano (BUK), mobilised his colleagues from the academic community to participate and boost credibility, trust, honesty and transparency in the overall conduct of the presidential polls.

These are virtues supposed to be found mainly among proven, erudite scholars, who make up the top echelon of tertiary education management and knowledge industry.

There had been three elections since Nigeria returned to democratic governance twelve years ago, after long military rule. If the 1999 election results could be tolerated grudgingly despite the inherent flaws, that of 2003 was apparently worse and 2007 virtually useless due to awesome rigging, electoral manipulations and brazen malpractices.

In 2011, everyone was thinking that this time around, the nation must get it right and avoid the scorn and disdain of the world.

After a false start on April 2, INEC bounced back on the April 9 to conduct a successful National Assembly election. It consolidated on this with the Presidential Polls last Saturday, adjudged locally and globally as one of the best so far.

While acknowledging some challenges which were identified during the National Assembly election despite the accolades which followed, Prof Jega had told a European Union (EU) delegation that results in every polling unit will be released for the people to see. “This will bring additional credibility to the process. Besides, people should ensure that this is complied with, because it is a necessary provision.”

Making sitting Vice Chancellors of Universities across the country chief collation officers in all the states and Federal Capital Territory of Abuja was a development many people did not contemplate. But it happened. The reason and rationale behind the use of Vice Chancellors seemed novel and innovative.

They were assigned to collate results of the Presidential election coming from all the 774 local governments in 36 states and FCT. Some of the Vice Chancellors worked in a states outside where their universities were located. Among them were Prof Bath Okolo of UNN, Prof Balogun, UNAAB, Prof Adelabu, UNIABUJA, Prof Usman Haruna, FUTA, Yola, Prof Amao, ex-VC, UNIBEN, Prof Aliu, Prof Bola Akinfenwa.

Among others were Prof. Ladipo Adamolekun, Prof Rashidi Adeyioye. For two days, Sunday and Monday, they were coming from states assigned to them bringing results to Abuja, at INEC’s Electoral Institute in the main foyer, with Prof Jega reclined on the high table flanked by his directors and national commissioners receiving the reports.

Each Vice Chancellor from every state comes in, reads out the statistics and figures; numbers of the total registered voters, scores of each political party, votes cast, votes rejected and the total valid votes. The number of the parties whose agents signed the result sheets are also included in the report.

After finishing, the Vice Chancellor will say: “Chairman Sir, I thank you for this opportunity to serve the nation and also thank the resident electoral commissioners for all the logistic support. It is my pleasure to come forward and present my report”. He moves up and takes a bow, shakes hand with the INEC boss.

Prof Jega will then receive the report if there are no discrepancies in the figures and thank the Vice Chancellor for a job well done.

In some cases, like reports from Benue and Bauchi; Jega will not hesitate to look at the Vice Chancellor straight in the face if the figures are not properly reconciled and asked them to go back and get the figures right.

The INEC boss always consulting with his aides, verifying, cross-checking and collating to confirm each result.

To a large extent, the involvement of the Vice Chancellors brought integrity, openness, accountability, confidence and transparency to the electoral process.

It was a ballot revolution in Nigeria, unlike the other type of revolution in Egypt, Tunisia, and the on-going one in Yemen, Bahrain, Libya and Syria driven by violent protest, bloody demonstration and unrest.

When the history of the ballot revolution is written, the peace and order that prevailed will become unprecedented among developing and developed nations of the world.

But above all, the role played by the academia including the young intellectuals of the National Youth Service Corps, who risked their lives ad-hoc staff, some killed in bomb attack, and the Vice Chancellors of universities can not be forgotten.

It was victory for the education sector, the people, INEC and security system.

In her reaction, Professor Aize Obayan, Vice Chancellor, Covenant University commended the involvement of Vice Chancellors in the collation of the Presidential election which was a recognition for academics and be part of the electoral process. She however decried the neglect of private universities in the exercise except one. “Most of the Vice Chancellors used were of Federal Universities. They should have taken also from state and private universities,” Obayan said.