Eben Enasco
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is once again under scrutiny for suspected malpractice following the 2023 General election and 2024 off-cycle gubernatorial election in Edo State.
Reports have highlighted similar findings of manipulations and frauds in the electoral system, particularly in Edo State raising concerns about INEC’s effectiveness.
Nothing seems to have changed with INEC, after the many complications in the 2023 presidential election.
Despite billions spent on advocacy, seminars, training, and other electoral materials, INEC’s efforts seem superficial, aimed at convincing electorates of free and fair elections.
However, come election time, the story changes. INEC’s reputation has been marred by, manipulations and fraud: Allegations of result tampering, vote buying, and malfunctioning voting systems BIVAS and Irev.
Lack of trust by stakeholders and voters question the integrity of elections under INEC’s watch.
Despite the controversy, INEC’s, mission remains, to serve as an independent and effective Electoral Management Body, to conduct free, fair, and credible elections for sustainable democracy in Nigeria, and to uphold autonomy, transparency, integrity, and credibility.
Inconsistent results discrepancies between announced results and actual votes cast, have been recorded putting a serious deservice in their actions.
Like an octopus, INEC, appears to change color and texture to blend in with its surroundings, hiding its true intentions before elections in the country.
They tend to know the winner even before the d-day of election after suspectedly lining their pockets.
This perceived ability to manipulate the electoral process has eroded trust in the institution.
In most cases, this happens in the build up to elections, in pretentious spaces to show that they are preparing to conduct veritable elections.
But in a true sense, those efforts seem rhetorical rhythm where the electorates are cajoled to believe in free and fair elections.
Boom, a few hours to elections the Octopus called INEC, begins to change itself with discordant tunes alongside the security operatives.
The reoccurrence is a pointer to a faulty institution amidst deaf ears paid by those leaders in power who would have fixed the lapses but chose to allow it to remain so because they are a major beneficiary of the nepotic act.
These intelligent creatures called INEC and Security Operatives often hide in crevices, under rocks, or within coral reefs like an Octopus during election, where they easily change color and texture.
INEC, and Security Operatives are now institutions perceived by electorates for their abilities to change direction, and often hide in electoral foliage, using their color-changing abilities to blend in with highest bidders and its branches in incumbent governments to riggout oppositions.
Every election year, there is a promise to uphold the integrity of the conduct of elections in Nigeria, by these Octopuses.
In his tasks to conduct elections in the Country, Professor Yakubu Mahmood had always assured Nigerians of free, fair and credible elections.
In contrast, the electoral umpire in convenience with security operatives contravene and are often accused of open manipulations by Stakeholders, a development that has left voters bewildered and upset with Electoral process.
In the Edo Gubernatorial election for instance, Yiaga Africa, one of the accredited observers was clear about the position of the election where it stated that at the coalition of results, there was a compromise.
Under the INEC gaffer, Professor, Mahmood Yakubu, the votes in Nigeria will never count.
Incidencies of self-writing results, vote buying, and unexplainable malfunctioning of BIVAS and Irev, on the day of elections are common indices for the lack of trust.
Security Operatives in many submissions have been similarly accused where INEC, uses them to scare people away when they are about to carry out such manipulations.
Politicians give the directive, the INEC plays the script, and the Security operatives carry out the implementation.
These tripeptide octopuses are the main culprits in election’s manipulations
To restore trust in Nigeria’s electoral system, INEC, must address its shortcomings and ensure transparent Processes, open and verifiable voting systems,
accountability, swift action against electoral malpractices, stakeholder engagement, collaborative efforts to strengthen electoral integrity
Only through genuine reform can INEC regain the trust of Nigerians and ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
