By Emeka Alex Duru
The announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the commencement of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) across the country from August 18, in preparation for the 2027 general election, should ordinarily excite Nigerians. It is one exercise that would allow citizens yet to register, or who need to update their voter information, to do so ahead of the polls.
For emphasis, Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) is meant for the registration of citizens who turned 18 years of age after the last exercise; or those who for one reason or another could not register in the previous outing. It is also open to those who may have misplaced their Permanent Voters Cards or may have relocated from their previous addresses. The dates and programmes for the registration are already laid out by INEC. By that, the Commission could be said to have taken bold steps in the commencement of processes leading to the 2027 general elections. But that is not enough. If anything, rather, the CVR announcement provokes deeper and more fundamental question; ‘can Nigerians trust INEC this time’? This is a question that cannot be dismissed with a wave of the hand, considering the persistent frustrations voters end up experiencing from the electoral body in successive elections in the land. It borders on trust.
Trust is fundamental to healthy human relationships and interactions. It enables individuals to feel safe and open up to one another without fear of betrayal or harm. Trust defines the extent participants in a relationship go in dealing with one another. Truth be told, between the INEC especially under its present leadership and the Nigerian voters, there is huge trust deficit. And that gap is not without cause. Since the appointment of Prof Mahmood Yakubu as national chairman of INEC by former President Muhammadu Buhari on October 21, 2015, almost all the electoral activities by the commission have been dotted with uncertainties and controversies.
The high point of INEC’s shenanigans manifested in the February 25, 2023 presidential elections. That was the day that hopes by Nigerians for enthroning enduring democratic culture in the land were dashed by INEC under Prof Yakubu in cahoots with Buhari. Before the fateful date, Buhari and the Yakubu, had fooled Nigerians, promising them free and fair elections. Buhari had pranced about, telling the world that he was working towards instituting a legacy of credible electoral democracy. At every forum, he kept advertising the pledge.
From his end, Yakubu swaggered and beat his chest that the days of election manipulation were over. He had particularly flaunted the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV), as safeguards against rigging. But when it mattered most, it became glaring that neither the late President, nor the INEC chair was prepared to keep to those promises. The outcome rather exposed them as working from an answer, while selling a dummy to Nigerians
Subsequent polls conducted by the Commission, in Edo, Ondo, Kogi, Imo, and lately, the bye-elections in Zamfara, Federal Capital Territory and Anambra, have equally been riddled with allegations of compromise. Reports of untoward engagements by key political actors in the Anambra poll have in fact been interpreted as foretaste of the oddities that may characterise the November 8 governorship election in the state. Sadly enough, in all the incidences of vote manipulation and rigging, INEC officials were fingered. These are realities that douse the enthusiasm of prospective voters in turning up for registration. They also explain the low voter turnout at our elections.
Elections are celebrations of democracy. Registering for election, should be exciting, ideally. My pain in the 1979 general elections was that I could not vote because I had not attained the electoral age. It was thus, a dream realised when in 1983, I had become eligible to vote. Youths of 18 years and above in the current dispensation, should be in that expectant mood. Voting for candidates of their choices and seeing their votes count, would naturally give them joy. But the INEC as presently constituted, does not guarantee that fulfilment for them. And cannot! The likely hope in the horizon is that Mahmood Yakubu would leave office in October this year, having served out his second term. Even at that, the hope can only be bolstered with his successor being a man of his own and Nigerians giving him or her very close marking. If the next INEC chairman turns out a furtherance of the Tinubu charade, it would mark a sad end to democracy in the land. By that, the efforts of men and women, who practically put their life on the line in fighting for one-man, one-vote arrangement, would have been in vain.
Nigerians are understandably disgusted with INEC’s past performances. But that should not be enough for those eligible to stay away from the continuous registration exercise. Apathy to registration due to the ugly past of the INEC cannot be solution to the challenges in the system but will rather encourage emergence of corrupt and bad leadership. For Nigeria’s elections to be credible and transparent, the electoral process must be got right and strengthened. Getting it right starts with the continuous registration exercise. Staying away from registration by prospective voters, is antithetical to the growth of democracy and good governance. This is the time to give INEC another chance to prove itself or forever live with the blame and curse for the failure of democracy in the country.
Registration is a pre-requisite for voting in elections. It is not only a fundamental right but also a duty of every eligible citizen. No individual can vote in an election unless he or she is duly registered. All Nigerians who have attained the ages of 18 and above and are not yet registered should seize the opportunity offered by the Continuous Voter Registration window to register and get their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs). Registration is done in person, not by proxy. Prospective voter is expected to present him/her self to the CVR officers for registration. A Voter can only register in one centre. If the voter resides in more than one constituency, he/she must choose only one location to register to avoid double registration. Multiple registration is an offence punishable by law. Political players and their parties should encourage their supporters and members to take part in the registration processes. Communities and faith-based organisations should equally do so.
It is important to stress that INEC has a big role in the success of the exercise and subsequent electoral processes. The Commission currently has a bad image among the people. The CVR should be a new beginning for it to get it right. After 26 years of uninterrupted democracy practice, INEC should be able to learn from its past mistakes and make the 2027 electoral process one to be proud of. How effective the CVR exercise is handled will go a long way in previewing the success of the 2027 elections. The least Nigerians expect from the Prof Mahmood Yakubu-led INEC is a credible voter registration exercise as a prelude to a transparent election in 2027. There should be no margin for error, this time.
*DURU is the Editor, TheNiche Online Newspapers, Lagos. 08054103327, nwaukpala@yahoo.com