INEC under fire over extension

By ADEBAYO OBAJEMU

The decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission , INEC, to extend the date for the submission of political parties’ candidates for 2023 general elections has come under intense criticism from different segments of society.

Although, INEC had initially hinted that it was under pressure by some political parties to grant extension of deadline for submission of lists of candidates but insisted it would not grant such request.

However, in a surprising move, the electoral umpire made a U-turn and extended same, citing intense pressure. In the alibi given for the extension by six days – the new deadline for submission is now June 6 – the electoral umpire said it was responding to pressure from all the political parties which had canvassed for the extension.

But in a swift response, the People’s Democratic Party’s spokesperson, Debo Ologundudu said INEC was being economical with the truth, saying there was no such pressure. He hinted that the body had caved in only to the ruling party which had not been able to put its house in order to come up with a presidential candidate. The party spokesperson averred that by this action of extending the deadline, it has shown that INEC is not independent.

Professor Adeagbo Moritiwon, a political scientist in his chat with Business Hallmark lashed out at INEC, saying “INEC may have become interested party in political parties contestation for power. This suspicion is affirmed by the PDP stand that it did not ask for extension. A position affirmed by other parties. Recall that the former INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega had warned the electoral umpire to stand firm and maintain its neutrality.

The Coordinator, Integrity In Governance Network, Ade Adetayo told Business Hallmark that “We need to henceforth put INEC under scrutiny. The extension as far as I’m concerned was to pander to the dictate of the ruling party. PDP has said it was not a party to the extension discussion. This is unfortunate.”

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), said INEC’s decision to extend the deadline after the APC postponed its screening for presidential aspirants was suspect. Falana advised INEC to redeem itself ahead of the 2023 poll.

“INEC owes it a duty to the country to demonstrate its independence and impartiality. What has happened is a case of the witch cried yesterday and the child died today. The APC had postponed its screening of candidates. Barely 24 hours later, INEC postponed the deadline for primaries.

“INEC will have to convince the public of its readiness to operate without interference from anybody. INEC must not let the ruling party, lawyers or the courts subvert the democratic process,” he said.

Also speaking, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN) alleged that it was obvious that INEC extended the deadline to favour the ruling All Progressives Congress, which had not even begun the process of conducting its presidential primary.

Adegboruwa said, “I think that INEC is not able to grasp the essence of its powers under the law. The word ‘independent’, as used by the constitution with respect to the National Electoral Commission, was used deliberately. It is also stated in the same constitution that ‘in the performance of its statutory duty, INEC shall not be under the control or direction of any person or authority’.

“Unfortunately, judging from how INEC is conducting its affairs, it is treating other political parties unfairly. For example, PDP delegates were already in Abuja in preparation for the primaries. If they had an inkling that the primary elections deadline would be postponed and the timetable extended, I am sure that they would have adjusted themselves.

“Hence it is not out of place to suggest that INEC colluded with the APC in order to throw the PDP into some kind of trap so that the candidate of the PDP for the presidential elections would become known and that would give the APC some kind of unfair advantage.”

Also, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), condemned INEC for postponing the deadline, but said he didn’t think that INEC infringed on any law.

Olanipekun said, “As a lawyer, have they (INEC) infringed on any law? No. However, INEC must not create the impression inadvertently, deliberately or otherwise, consciously or otherwise, that it has given this extension because of a particular political party.”

He added, “You know, the confidence of the people in INEC is being eroded. I think this type of decision will make people lose their confidence in it.”

But Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN), said, “I don’t think it is right for people to say it (the extension) was to favour the ruling APC; it will favour more than the APC, as there are other parties that are yet to conduct their primary elections like the Labour Party and others who are trying to get their acts together.”

Also reacting, the Transition Monitoring Group, comprising over 400 civil society organisations, slammed INEC for the deadline extension. The organisation said it received the information “with great worries and concerns.”

The chairman of TMG, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, in a statement, said at a time when Nigerians were beginning to have confidence in INEC, “some powerful forces are trying to undermine and pressurise it to do their biddings.”

“A lot of political parties have made efforts in conducting their primaries and if the ruling party is still uncertain about the day to conduct its presidential primary elections that shouldn’t be the basis for the extension”, he said.
Many who spoke to Business Hallmark said there was a nexus between the simmering crisis in the ruling party and INEC extension of deadline for the submission of names of candidates who won the primaries across parties.

Last week, Salihu Lukman, the vice chairman of APC in Northwest criticized the new chairman of the party Abdullah Adamu for his style of administration which, he said, has not been in line with the party’s laid down rules.

Lukman said Adamu has been acting solo without consultation and has made himself unreachable for discussion of the affairs of the party; taking decisions without input of other executives and when challenged he would say his decisions are the wishes of President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him, Adamu is rooting for consensus option instead of candidates going to primary to slug it out, this, he also said is the wish of the president.

A highly placed APC stalwart who prefers anonymity for fear of victimisation told Business Hallmark that “Adamu is a dictator, a sleeping dictator. Most of the times, he is said to be sleeping, and he takes order on party affairs directly from the president. As far as I’m concerned whoever will emerge as the party’s presidential candidate will be Buhari’s anointed. Adamu is here to do hatchet job, to truncate democracy.

Professor Bulus Martin, a retired professor of public administration in his chat with this medium said “APC is in crisis, after the presidential candidate will have emerged through abracadabra arrangements, go and mark it, the party will splinter, the person that will emerge will not be through democracy.

“What will happen is that some people will be prevailed upon through prior arrangement to step down for anointed candidate of Buhari to trim down the unwieldy lot, then a suggestion of a consensus will be made after which other candidates will be made either to agree to a consensus, or once the field has been trimmed down to five, three of them will suddenly withdraw asking their supporters (delegates) to vote for Buhari’s anointed.

“In this case, a semblance of primary will have taken place. Remember some will take money and still not vote for the candidate that gave them the money. It is already happening.”

Multiple sources told Business Hallmark that the ruling party instigated the extension, adding that the party is in dilemma over the primary. A source in the party said “the greatest challenge is how to manage the Tinubu angle,” the inner loop of the party, the dominant power bloc who put Adamu there with clear agenda to scuttle the ambition of Bourdillion is working round the clock to actualise the agenda of putting somebody amenable to their interest there, and that person is certainly not Tinubu”, he said.

The source said “the six days moratorium will enable the enablers of the agenda to perfect how to make the consensus looks like a primary has taken place.”