1. ELECTION POSTPONEMENT: THE INTRIGUE, THE ORDINARY MAN
AND ALL THAT
Andrew Xavier Akpan
Soap operas so often depend for their dramatic tension on lies, intrigues,
concealment and deceit. Hence it is better enjoyed than experienced. To our
greatest surprised, however, the drama in a typical soap is what is happening in
Nigerian political landscape. Our political environment is filled with drama based
on terrible intrigues. Sometimes, the truth is concealed for reasons not known to
the ordinary man. Justice is at stake when truth is called to question.
Prior to February 7th, 2015, some people knew that elections will be cancelled
while the majority dismissed it as mere rumour, dangerous indeed, going by the
tension of the prevalent political environment. The dangerous rumor became a
reality when elections were finally postponed. Many reasons were advanced for the
decision by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) including the
need for improved security situation in some part of the country and to allow more
time for the distribution of permanent voter cards, PVC.
This decision has thrown opened debates on different angles. The opposition has
berated the Federal government as “being too clever by half to think that Nigerians
will reward it for its failure in its main reason for existence, which is the protection
of the welfare and security of the citizens.” The ruling Peoples Democratic Party ,
PDP has hailed the decision to postpone the elections citing the need for INEC to
adequately prepare for the elections and to make the North East of the country
more secure for the conduct of the. Prof. Attahiru Jega, the INEC Chairman, has
not been spared from alleged fault or guilt for playing into the hands of forces that
wanted election postponement for reasons best known to them.
The ordinary citizen that was hitherto watching, listening and receiving the echo by
way of propagandas of politicians as joined in the discussion. Everyone is arguing
from the side that favours their interest. It is not unusual to find people swinging
with the pendulum of strong opinion leaders, most often politicians who peddled
propagandas that are often embedded with religious and ethnic colourations but
with partisan undercurrents. The propagandas are deliberately vague so they might

2. appeal to as many people as possible. Most often, the proper information is
controlled by those with an interest in hiding the truth.
With all the intrigues, by way of questions, the ordinary Nigerian will like to know
the stories behind the scene prior to the postponement. First, while was INEC
caught napping and fighting fire in emergency? A week before the elections under
the original timetable, the commission was only able to deliver 68% of the PVCs to
eligible voters after 4 good years of preparation with its chairman insisting that
INEC was far more prepared to go into the elections. Was it possible for INEC to
have distributed the substantial amount of PVCs before February 8, 2015, the
expiration of the deadline? Some people may see the hiccups regarding the PVCs
as enough reason to warrant the postponement of the elections. No wonder some
groups of people agitated for the use of temporary voter card for the elections to
avoid the risk of being disenfranchised. Therefore, no matter the echo of “readiness
mantra” of INEC to conduct elections, the stakeholders (the political parties and
voters) berated it of poor handling of distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards
(PVCs) to eligible voters. In fact some stakeholders did not see insecurity as major
problem, but non-collection of PVCs. The postponement has made the commission
to improve on the PVC distribution to a higher percentage. The extension has also
given INEC an ample opportunity to train personnel on the use card readers in
accreditation of voters, though this also has been subject of accusation and counter
accusation among stakeholders. I excuse this as part of politics too.
Second, the North Eastern part of the country was in a more terrible security crisis
prior to the postponement . But if I may ask, why did we have to stay with Boko
Haram for 5 years with an intention of defeating it within 6 weeks? This is another
intrigue that an ordinary Nigerian is yet to come to terms with. We understand that
Section 26 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) gives INEC the power to
postpone an election. It reads thus:
“Where a date has been appointed for the holding of an election, and there is
reason to believe that a serious breach of the peace is likely to occur if the election
is proceeded with on that date or it is impossible to conduct the elections as a result
of natural disasters or other emergencies, the commission may postpone the
election and shall in respect of the area, or areas concerned, appoint another date

3. for the holding of the postponed election provided that such reason for the
postponement is cogent and verifiable.”
The application however of Section 26 as the grounds for the postponement of any
election may not be automatic even in the area affected by breach of peace and
security as same is dependent on the ability of INEC to proffer enough and
convincing reasons for a postponement that should be “cogent and verifiable”.
Even if we were to conduct elections, it will not be a serious “big deal”, afterall
elections have been conducted in war tone countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and
Syria. What the government needed to do here, if election had been held as
scheduled, was to put extra security measures in the volatile areas. Thank God the
situation is now reduced but the common citizen will like to know why we have to
wait till this very moment to put a serious attempt at quashing the crisis.
Third, the ordinary Nigerian will love to know why the change in election dates
has generated so much bubble. Why has the postponement either confirmed
suspicions or vindicated some other stakeholders? This question is apt and
necessary, especially in our environment where the level of mutual suspicion by all
the political parties is so high and irredeemably so. The virtue of interpersonal trust
has finally disappeared after the election postponement. It is normal to think that
the postponement is actually a manipulation by the ruling PDP and its presidential
candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan. At this point nobody wants to know
whether his action is well-intentioned or not. Typically, even INEC has not been
spared as it is seen as playing the script of the ruling party, the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP). The ordinary Nigerian does not trust INEC. Even if it has a genuine
reason to shift the election now by a week or two, it will be difficult to convince
Nigerians.
If there is much of distrust among the game players, the electoral process will
receive a blow to its legitimacy. As in typical Nigerian politics, the reassurance of
President Jonathan that May 29 handover date remains sacrosanct has not doused
tension, especially on suspicion by the main opposition party, APC.
As it stands, INEC will be able to conduct elections within the window of
constitutional accommodation and pursuant to its enabling law. The new poll dates
of March 28 and April 11 do not violate the provisions of the Electoral Act. The

4. requirement of the law in relation to election is that elections should be held not
later than 30 days to the hand over date of the new administration. The hand over
date is May 29 and since the last election is fixed for April 11, that is clearly in
excess of 30 days. The other requirement is that the timetable and preparation for
elections, display of voters register, etc, should take place not later than 90 days
before the election. The voters registered were displayed last year, well ahead of
the 90 day stipulation. To that extent, the new dates announced for the elections are
not in violation of the law.
The politics of the postponement notwithstanding, Nigerians are ready to vote.
Suddenly after the postponement, there is a noticeable, strange and unbelievable air
of optimism and interests towards this elections in all the regions of the country.
Two factors may be responsible: the power and interests of the incumbent
government in the elections and the wish of Nigerians to exercise their civic right
and responsibility in choosing the leaders they want. The postponement has
invariably increased interest in civic participation in the democratic political
culture among Nigerians with agitation and public enlightenment on PVC
collection.
Studies of democracy and democratic transitions has that successful
democratization requires significant proportion of a country’s population for the
purpose of legitimacy. Lai Mohammed, the spokesperson of the APC understands
this vividly when he said in one of his interviews:
“Election is the lifeblood of democracy, the mechanism by which modern
representative democracy operates. It is the only way for the citizenry to
renew and refresh the governing process so they can get the most benefits
out of democracy.”
With the postponement, the elections of March 28 and April 11 2015 will stand as
a watershed in the Nigerian electoral politics. Interestingly, it will be very
colourful, too. The plain truth- not propaganda, lies or half truth- is that Nigerians
need a peaceful and credible election that will be seen to be fair by all
stakeholders. The ordinary Nigerian may not be so interested in all the politics

5. haboured in the postponement. He is, by his status and position, caught up along a
spectrum between peaceful and a violent elections. Everyone should canvass for a
country-wide participation. For politicians who are now demagogues, keying to
the desires, hopes, hatreds, loves, fears, and prejudices of the people for the sole
purpose of selling their propagandas, one should be careful in swallowing their
utterances. Let Nigerians utilizes the postponement period in assessing the integrity
or otherwise of each of the candidates before elections.
Andrew Xavier Akpan writes
from Abuja
Hs is a Media Assistant to
Hon. Ben Nwankwo, MHR.
Chairman, House Committee on
Culture and Tourism