By Chioma Gabriel, Deputy Editor –

Celebration continues in the camps of winners of the just concluded elections and gnashing of the teeth by the losers. Yet, Professor Attahiru Jega, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which he heads is still being discussed, for good or bad by both sides on the performance of the commission.

Honourable  Bawa Bwari, former member of the House of Representatives and the gubernatorial  candidate of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in Niger State says he is not impressed with INEC’s performance at the polls.

A woman in Purdah casting her votes during the Gubernatorial and State Assembly Elections in Minna, Niger State. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida

“INEC performed poorly, especially in Niger State. They connived with the security agents and the PDP to rig elections especially in the governorship (polls) and this is very disappointing. They drove away agents and officials and  snatched  away ballot boxes , replacing  them with ballot boxes filled with already thumb-printed ballot papers.

Everybody knows this government in Niger State does not deserve to come back but unfortunately, INEC brought it back. They did same in so many places, conniving with PDP and rigging out the true winners”.
But a former governor of Cross River State, Clement Ebri does not think so.

“ There is a lot improvement over the past INEC even though a few areas need to be tidied up. It’s so far,  so good,  compared with the last INEC and the onus now would be to flush out the remnant of the people in the old INEC who were used to rig elections in some places  in the last elections. What I am saying in effect is that Jega’s performance is very credible but there are people in INEC, who belong to the old INEC that were used to rig elections in some places.”

Dr. Chris Uba

Founding national chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Chekwas Okorie gives INEC excellent marks for its performance in the just-conducted elections.

“It’s excellent compared to what we have had since 1999 but there is still so much room  for improvement. It appears the defects in the ballot box system have remained incurable. There are still ballot box snatching and stuffing of ballot boxes.

That means that area must be looked into in future elections. We have to improve on our electronic voting system and consider the possibility of using electronic voting system in subsequent elections.  We need the N/A which is now more balanced to see that it is effected . Jonathan should ensure he continues with  the electoral reforms which he started and shouldn’t relax.”

In the rating of Dr. Chris Uba, the godfather of Anambra politics, INEC has been wonderful.

“ Everybody’s vote counted. This is the best election so far. I’m very happy with INEC and I think Jega should be retained for future elections. He performed very well”.

Former President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Dr. Dozie  Ikedife thinks Jega is the best so far even as he hails the use of university lecturers as Collating Officers.

“This INEC  has performed very well but they have to look down the line to tackle those who encouraged double-voting and  thumb-printing in the last elections. INEC should ensure it discourages  last minute canvassing for  votes or attempts  to sway the  votes by politicians.

Clement Ebri

And then, they have to tackle some irregularities especially in areas where the turn-out is low. This is not the doing of  Jega or the senior INEC officials but the junior ones.  Where turn-out was low, they hyped  figures  within the range of  registered voters.

For instance, where there were like 500 registered voters and only 100 voted, INEC officials filled  up the remaining 400 by doing the thumb-printing themselves. So, I wont score them 100% . Let’s say 75%. The high level of INEC  is okay.

They used a lot of academicians and made a lot of difference but in the lower level of INEC staff, some of the field officers in the last  elections were not it.

While reacting, Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa, scores Jega high but the activities in the  field low .

“Jega as a person has proven to be a credible person but I wont say same for the elections. The arrangement and planning of the elections as it concerns Jega and his commission is high. He proved he is educated and he let his education reflect on his performance. It is the best I have seen in the country.

“But when you go back to what happened in the field, it has nothing to do with INEC. It’s the political class. The elections were marred by intimidation especially in Osun State where I was threatened to leave my home in Ijeshaland or be killed.

A week to the elections, they were sending messages to me and drawing death signs, asking me to leave Ilesa. I wrote to the police but  they did  not do anything.

There was open intimidation in Osun and people didn’t come to vote. ACN got 100% vote to the House and Assembly. That was quite strange.

Does that mean that nobody voted for any other person in Osun?  INEC should reconsider the results of Osun State elections. The party  told its  thugs and LG chairmen to ensure ACN candidates were returned to the House. They used thugs organised by ACN  leaders and threatened people in the presence of security personnel.

Chekwas Okorie

Osun State election was the worst so far, worse than the 1965 election that caused mayhem in the South-West . They used thugs and intimidation to scare voters and that was the only state in the South West that Jonathan did not win .I am the national Chairman of my party, AD, but they scared me, throwing all manner of things into my compound.

If care is not taken, ACN  will set fire in that state  because it is  led by charlatans and I have evidence to show that.  It’s a terrible thing and if it is allowed to continue, they  will destroy things.”