By Stanley Nwocha

Propaganda and media blitz characterised the battle to clinch the nomination for chairmanship of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. From the blues came the announcement of the Vice Chancellor of the Bayero University, Kano, Prof. Attahiru Jega, as President Goodluck Jonathan’s choice as the man for the job. Can this man knock INEC back to its senses? STANLEY NKWOCHA, Politics Editor, Weeklies, writes.

To say that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has been a boot of jokes today, by both Nigerians and the international community  is to drive the nail down the head. INEC, since 1999, has continually degenerated into an organ  that could best be described as a caricature of itself.

The tenure of former chairman, Prof Maurice Iwu, nosedived the remnant of whatever reputation that was left of the Commission as controversy beclouded it like a colossus. Indeed, while Iwu may have exited INEC, his footprints , said to be the worst in the history of the nation is all over INEC like a Japanese painting.

Nothing seemed to have worked at INEC during Maurice Iwu’s days as each and every policy and programme aimed at turning the nation’s electoral strides for the better, kept crumbling like a pack of cards.

From its Direct Data Capture machine, to its electronic results transfer, to bizarre voters’ register, and an overzealousness amongst its rank  and file that was met with an unprecedented partisanship and interest, INEC under Maurice Iwu got it all wrong. After its 2007 general elections, it took the courts to return not over 24 of the 36 states governors, about 80 of the 109 Senators, over 280 House of Reps members etc. Indeed, it would be safe to say that INEC did not conduct the elections, but the judiciary did.

With time fast ticking away for the tenure of Iwu to elapse, the pressure groups led by the civil society groups mounted heavy opposition, for Maurice Iwu who also in a fight to finish, galvanised support , hitting back at his critics, and for those who dared to protest against his reappointment, Iwu had his own army of protesters, matching them action for action and cash for cash. The foresight was no longer there as Iwu’s INEC allowed itself to be drawn into battle of wits, whereas its integrity would have fought for it.

The above reasons and more surely caused the polity to stir up when finally, President Jonathan sent Iwu packing, and the character and personality  to replace Maurice Iwu became the point of controversy.

So , when last Tuesday, President Jonathan announced to the National Council of State, his choice of Prof Attahiru Jega as the next INEC chairman designate, the anxiety, interest, applause and feelings generated was understandable. The experiences of the past had left bitter experiences in the mouths of many.

Going by the endorsements he has so far received, it is unexpected that Jega would have any problems with his screening and confirmation by the Senate. If antecedents and track records were yardsticks for screening, Jega would have since resumed work as the INEC boss as his is a clean bill of health where excellence has remained like a twin to him.

While encomium has been poured on the person of Prof Jega, it would be erroneous to say that the university Don’s entry would not be met with challenges, largely as a result of the actions and inaction of the leadership of his predecessor, Iwu. Going by the several challenges posted at Jega, his emergence as the INEC boss is one that must be met with success.

The goodwill currently being received by Jega it must be said, has shut up his critics who are of the opinion that being close to Maurice Iwu  was enough sin. More surprising  is the endorsement that is coming from the House of Representatives, which has already endorsed his candidature.

This is just as the All Nigeria Peoples Party hailed Jega’s nomination, saying Nigerians expect positive changes from the Commisssion under Jega’s leadership. The party in a statement signed by its national publicity secretary, Emmanuel Eneukwu, said the appointment of Jega was a divine intervention, saying what the contry needs now is a committed , dedicated, transparent , honest and true democrat who would revive its electoral body. “For INEC’s mantle of leadership to fall on Jega, it  could be said  to be a divine intervention, so as to revive our dead and decaying electoral body”, he said.

On its part, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, eulogised Jega’s choice, saying his nomination would improve the nation’s electoral process. The party which spoke through Prof. Rufai Alkali, its national publicity secretary in a statement , called on the Senate to expeditiously confirm his appointment.

‘The PDP expresses its delight at the appointment of Prof. Jega and congratulates the president and the national council of states for this nomination of an erudite scholar, an accomplished administrator and a deep patriot with a track record of integrity and national service’, the statement read,” he said.

These party’s endorsement trailed those of others’ such as the AC, LP, CNPP, and other groups such as the Unity Forum, NLC/TUC and a host of others that turned in kind words.

But behind the kind words may be the real challenges and fears that Jega may have to tackle head on. This in the opinion of many Nigerians is the issue of a genuine and dependable voters’ register the INEC is using presently, has been regarded in several quarters as a ‘wishy- washy’ document.

Indeed if all the Mike Tysons, Bill Gates, Maradonas and the likes which has come to be a permanent feature with almost all the registers across the states of the Federation is juxtaposed with the missing names of voters in the Anambra February 10, election, the gravity and danger the voters’ register portends as we approach 2011 general elections would be understood.

Dismayed by what it termed the ‘wishy- washy’ nature of the harmonised bill as passed by the National Assembly, civil society organisations in the country have said that they are poised for a showdown against the lawmaking body.The said electoral act as passed by the lawmaking body fell short of the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians.

Speaking on behalf of the various civil society groups, comprising Alliance for Credible Elections ACE, Save Nigeria Group SNG Transition Monitoring Group TMG, Campaign For Democracy CD, Voters Assembly VA, Ayo Opadokun of the Coalition of Democrats For Electoral Reform (CODER), at a press conference, said the proposed harmonised electoral bill was nothing but a betrayal of the Nigerian electorate as well as insulting to the nation.

Opadokun said any electoral bill passed into law that is bereft of the Justice Mohammed Uwais committee resolutions would only spell doom for the nation, as it is not the reflection of the vast interest and opinion of Nigerians.

“The Uwais committee lasted for a period of 18 months, went across the country, got the inputs of all Nigerians, got funding from the nation’s purse as well as from donor agencies, and largely had a report that had the full support, endorsement and will of Nigerians.

“In the case of NASS, we saw them organise a two-day hearing session that did not last up to six hours, and organised a shrouded zonal hearing before proceeding to produce the inept and empty electoral bill which they harmonised,” Opadokun said.

The CODER director said that the civil societies had collectively written to President Goodluck Jonathan on the need to have a newly technically compiled, digitalised voters register, saying it is necessary for the next election.

The groups warned that to conduct the 2011 elections with the present voters’ register would be a dubious venture as the present register is “constructed on a deliberate, technically faulty, inconsistent and perverted data resources,” just as it blamed the Maurice Iwu-led INEC for deliberately sabotaging the nation’s voters’ register.

Also, Maurice Iwu’s name has become a sort of cankerwarm in the polity. The dangers posed by Iwu , who already was used in a bid to mar Jega’s confirmation should be known to him by now.

Ahead of the expected clearance of Professor Attahiru Jega as substantive chairman of the INEC, the Labour Chairman, Barr. Dan Nwanyanwu warned Jega to dissociate himself totally from erstwhile chairman of INEC, if he has to succeed.

He advised Jega to distance himself from Iwu and work with those at the Commission noted for their integrity and commitment to an enduring political era especially as the nation approaches another electioneering year. This is just as he congratulated President Goodluck Jonathan on Jega’s nomination.

Finally , internal corruption in INEC, partisanship, disrespect of court orders, manipulation of results, adequate preparations and logistics have combined to give INEC its dented image today.

Perhaps after this battle, Jega will try to get fame and respect for INEC as hopefully votes will begin to count. Then we can move the searchlight over to the politicians and begin to call for their heads because then, INEC would have put its house in order.