Postpone poll if necessary, group tells INEC

INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega

A non-governmental organisation, Centre for Social Justice, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to postpone next month’s general elections if necessary to ensure the polls’ credibility.

The group said in a report titled: “Election campaigns and rule of law” released on January 12, 2015 that Nigerians would not tolerate failure from the electoral body since it had four years to plan for the elections.

It warned that INEC’s failure to deliver credible elections could lead to post-election violence.

The report also said the handling of the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards by INEC had created doubts in the minds of Nigerians about the commission’s capacity to deliver credible elections.

The report said, “The electoral body had four years to prepare for this; if per adventure, it is not fully ready to improve on its past performances and conduct a very credible poll, it can still ask for some weeks of postponement. We better get it right rather than apologise on why we failed.

“The current situation on the distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards is creating doubts in the minds of right thinking members of society of INEC’s capacity and readiness to deliver credible elections next month. If millions of Nigerians are disenfranchised due to the inability to access their PVCs, which is not their fault, but the poor management of INEC, the elections cannot in any imagination be said to be credible.

“INEC needs to put its best feet forward considering the lessons of previous elections and innovations it seeks to introduce. There will be no excuse for failure and Nigerians will not accept apologies. If it requires additional resources to ensure that the February dates are successful, INEC should say so now so that the executive and legislature will provide the resources.

“Every part of society should wake to the fact that post-election violence will retard our democracy and will not be in the interest of anyone.”

The group also warned politicians and political parties against making statements that could incite the public to engage in violence before, during and after the elections. It blamed the main opposition party, All Progressives Congress, for its recent statement that it would form a parallel government if the ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party, rigs the elections.

It said, “The statement raises several posers: at what point will the APC determine that the election has been rigged? Will it be immediately after the election or after election tribunal proceedings? Who determines whether the election is free and fair? That is, will the APC use its judgment to determine that the election has been rigged without recourse to the due process of law?

“This threat leaves a lot hanging and needs to be further clarified. Ordinarily, if the presidential election is rigged and overturned by the tribunal, there will be no need for a parallel government as the complainant will be declared the winner of the polls or fresh polls will be held after cancelling the rigged one.”