As millions of Nigerians troop out to the polls today (Saturday, February 25, 2023) to elect a new president and members of the National Assembly, they do so with the strong belief that their votes will count.
Of course, controversies have continued to trail the conduct and outcome of elections in Nigeria. They did not start today. They have been part of the country’s history since independence in 1960.
Yet, President Muhammadu Buhari has, at every forum, assured Nigerians that he will bequeath a legacy of a credible electoral process.
Sadly, in recent years, elections were literally a do-or-die affair. The polls were characterised by thuggery, violence and killings. Sadly, too, while the electoral umpire was counting votes, Nigerians were left to count the number of deaths recorded in virtually all the states of the federation.
First, to improve the credibility of the country’s elections, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the amended Electoral Act, a move that was hailed by many.
Of course, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under the leadership of Professor Mahmoud Yakubu should be commended for coming up with innovations to improve electoral processes in the country. The electronic transfer of votes and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine is a game-changer.
Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is an electronic device designed to read Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and authenticate voters – using the voters’ fingerprints – to prove that they are eligible to vote at a particular polling unit.
BVAS usage entails either scanning the barcode/QR code on the PVC/Voter’s register or entering the last six digits of the Voter Identity Number or typing in the last name of the voter by the Assistant Presiding Officer (APO 1) to verify and authenticate the voter.
Using BVAS, the INEC has, in one stroke, eliminated ballot box snatching, indiscriminate thumb printing of ballot papers, and violence from the country’s electoral system.
Also, the recent off-season elections in Ekiti, Osun and Anambra states have proved that the President is, indeed, serious about his pledge to bequeath a legacy of free, fair and credible elections.
Speaking on BVAS, the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, said: “When the commission introduced BVAS last year, the compact device was intended to achieve two objectives. First is the verification of the genuineness of the PVCs and the fingerprint or facial authentication of voters during accreditation.
In essence, BVAS is a technology solution based on Artificial Intelligence and is only as good as both the age of the data and the training that the Algorithms receive. The use of this technology as a solution on the scale required for credible election administration in Nigeria is challenging given its flawed reputation and at a time when many of its pioneers are pulling back from it.
BVAS also acts as the INEC Voter Enrolment Device (IVED) during voter registration. Its usage has also eliminated the use of incident forms during accreditation on an election day.
In recent months, INEC has consistently said that the deployment of BVAS is the way to go in checking election rigging and other electoral frauds which have characterised elections in Nigeria.
Curbing vote-buying
There are also theories that the recent Naira redesign project of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are calculated strategies by the President to ensure a credible election.
No doubt, with the BIVAS machine and electronic transfer of votes, the only card some deviant politicians can play right now is to buy votes. The bitter truth is that a sizable number of Nigerians are hungry and will, willingly, sell their votes for as low as N5000. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) just released a report that 133 million Nigerians are extremely poor. That’s a new reality.
Besides, trying to convince a poor Nigerian not to sell his vote might be a waste of time. Someone who has not seen N500 for two weeks, if offered N5000, N10,000, will sure find it difficult to reject it?
The redesign of the Naira and the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria are seen as a blow to voting-buying in the general elections. It’s a deliberate effort by the President to limit the influence of money in the elections.
Recall that the President said recently that he won’t allow politicians to intimidate voters with money. And he is not allowing that to happen.
Also recall that during the recent police retreat in Owerri, the President told the police to remain apolitical and allow the electorate vote for their party of choice.
Similarly, during an Army Open Day celebration in Sokoto, the President made a similar charge. He told the military to maintain neutrality.
It should be noted some security personnel used to do the bidding of the government in power, and look the other way when infractions took place.
Thus, the President ordered them to remain apolitical and allow the wish of the people to prevail. If they remain neutral, it will also go a long way in improving the credibility of the elections.
There is no doubt that the President is serious when he said he wants to leave a legacy of free, fair and credible elections. The question remains: will the politicians allow him, or will they fight back? Politicians are also devising new means of compromising the electoral process.
Today, there are commentaries sponsored by politicians on why the new CBN cashless policy will not work. At the vanguard of the rejection of the Naira policy are some governors. Some members of the National Assembly, too, have rejected the cashless policy.
Need for stiffer penalties
One of the major problems is that people are not punished for bad behaviours. That’s the major reason crimes continue to fester.
Sadly, offenders of electoral processes are rarely apprehended and punished in Nigeria. This failure explains why it is impossible to deter would-be offenders. Yet, those caught in vote-buying in the Ekiti and Osun elections have not been prosecuted. Whereas prosecuting them should serve as a deterrence for those planning to buy votes in today’s presidential election.
We need to make examples of some people. Agreed, this is easier said than done, but it is doable.
However, despite all the shortcomings, the signs are that the 2023 general elections will be the most credible in the history of Nigeria. Thanks to the innovations that INEC has introduced.
Nigerians must not only vote, they must vote for the right reason. They must vote for the love of the nation. They must vote beyond stomach infrastructure.
In fact, Nigerians must ensure a peaceful election so we can continue to enjoy stability in the polity. Everyone must become an agent of peace. Albert Einstein said: “Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only be achieved by understanding.”
There must be a consensus among Nigerians that they are tired of rigged elections that have given birth to bad leaders at different levels of leadership. It must be clear among citizens that religion and ethnic politics is no longer sustainable.
As they queue up for most of the day, it is hoped that Nigerians will vote for only competent, visionary and principled candidates beyond religion, tribe and stomach infrastructure.
– Media Feature