…Citizens urge INEC to make integrity its watch word
…Agbakoba, others react
Since the successful conduct of the December 7, 2024 Presidential election by the Electoral Commission of Ghana, reactions have continued to trail the exercise, with many Nigerians urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to come down from its high horse and learn how to make integrity its watch word.
They also advised that the Ghanaian election should serve as an impetus for Nigeria to reform its electoral process to deliver credible elections.
The high-level transparency that attended the exercise, which was allowed to prevail by the Electoral Commission of Ghana makes elections in Nigeria a child’s play.
The election was so transparent that Muhamudu Bawumia, incumbent vice president and candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), called John Mahama, the president-elect of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to congratulate him even when collation was still going on.
Unlike in Nigeria, where electoral frauds have discouraged many citizens from participating in the electoral process, various reports say that the Ghanaian poll witnessed a large turnout of eligible voters.
Observers also noted that unlike in Nigeria, there were no voter intimidation; there were no violence, vote-buying; ballot-box snatching, no manipulation of result at collation points and there were also no deliberate attempt to declare pre-determined results after wasting people’s time through any form of glitches.
Although Ghana is a much smaller country, the speed with which results were released has not even been seen in an off-season election in any Nigeria state, which also has received a wide range of commendation.
Many stakeholders believe that Nigeria’s election results take forever to be released, because the administrators allegedly play hanky-panky. They drag the announcement of results into the night and eventually come out with figures that are always being disputed.
The electoral umpire in Ghana was transparent and quick in releasing the result.
Observers also noted that Ghanaians on the election day, went about their businesses, unlike in Nigeria where every business activity is grounded, resulting in loss of huge revenues to Nigeria, a country that houses millions of poor people, with the Federal Government always seeking loans outside the country.
A video has since been making the rounds on social media on the beauty of the Ghanaian election. A lady, who said that she was witnessing election for the first time in Ghana expressed her shock that the country did not declare a public holiday; did not deploy all categories of security agencies or shut down markets and malls, yet had a seamless exercise.
She was shocked that Nigeria, which claimed to be the big brother in the region, was lagging where it mattered most.
Miffed at the claim by Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, on the brilliant outing in Ghana, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (NPDP), said that the Yakubu’s comments were “the height of arrant hypocrisy, self-serving, and idiotic.”
Accusing him of being a major threat to the development of Nigeria’s democracy, Eze said that Yakubu’s praise is a blatant display of hypocrisy given the widely criticised conduct of Nigeria’s 2023 general election under his leadership.
He also pointed out that the majority of elections conducted under Yakubu’s tenure have fallen far short of democratic standards, alleging that INEC has become an extension of the ruling government, suppressing opposition parties and silencing dissenting voices.
He condemned Yakubu’s claim that Ghana’s electoral body learned from Nigeria, calling it a “false and misleading mockery” of Ghana’s electoral integrity.
“For a man who, through his ineptitude and bias, has ruined Nigeria’s democratic process by conducting fraudulent elections, to hail Ghana’s electoral process is sheer insensitivity and morally debasing,” Eze declared in a press statement.
He cited the failure to fully utilise the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the IReV portal as key examples of Yakubu’s alleged mismanagement, leading to widespread distrust in the electoral process.
He further accused Yakubu of deliberately creating a system that disenfranchises Nigerians and allows for the manipulation of election results.
Azu Isiekwene, a public affairs commentator and journalist, in his comment on the smooth Ghana election, said that the Nigeria’s election management body needed to raise its game, stressing that the chaos reflects the winner-takes-all mentality among Nigeria’s political elite, which has increasingly seduced the courts to decide elections.
“Often, when Nigerian politicians taunt their opponent to “go to court” after an election, they are confident of a favourable outcome,” he said.
Although the Ghana election may not be totally perfect, it stands as a shining example of a credible and transparent electoral process in Africa, one from which Nigeria should emulate and strive to have.
“The exercise has been widely commended for its credibility, marking a stark contrast to the challenges often associated with elections in Nigeria”, Hammed Muritala, media and development practitioner, said.
For many observers of Nigeria’s political scene, there are many takeaways from Ghana’s election, but one act which was significant and legendary was where a candidate openly admitted his failure at the poll and congratulated his opponent. Many had argued that what happened in Ghana recently was not totally like what happened in Nigeria in the 2015 presidential election, where the then President, Goodluck Jonathan called former President Muhammadu Buhari to congratulate him.
Some argued that Jonathan had to do it to avoid a large-scale violence, which had been allegedly planned for which mercenaries had been allegedly imported from other countries, in the event that the election went contrary to the expectation of the then opposition.
“The smooth, rancour-free conduct of the poll was a far departure from what we often see here in Nigeria; where elections are characterized by chaos, security agencies intimidation, manipulation of results and brazen subversion of voters’ will,” a political analyst, who did not want his name mentioned, said.
In recent years in Nigerian elections, winners are decided by court due to multiple factors, most importantly, the failure of the electoral commission to conduct an acceptable poll or uphold its guidelines.
With the controversy that has trailed recent polls in the country including, the recent off-season gubernatorial election in Edo and Ondo states and the 2023 general election, many Nigerians have called for the overhauling of the country’s electoral process ahead of 2027.
Many stakeholders say it was time for the Nigerian electoral election umpire to take a cue from Ghana and reposition itself to conduct free and fair polls, if the country hopes to enjoy good governance and accountability
However, there are some Nigerians who say that the problem with the country’s electoral process was more about the desperation of political actors to win at all cost and subvert the process to their favour.
They say while there are always deliberate human interventions in Nigeria’s voting process, no matter how digitised, that is very rare in Ghana. Vote buying is almost a taboo there, but here it is the norm.
“Nigerian politicians and electoral umpires are deliberate in ensuring that we have a flawed election, because only then can they be able to manipulate the process and install whoever they want as winner of the election.
Read also: Giant of Africa? Ghana’s flawless presidential election beams spotlight on Nigeria’s INEC
“For me that is also why it takes almost forever to release results of elections that are almost electronic”, Temitope Musowo, public policy analyst and researcher at the University of Ibadan, said.
“While there are always deliberate human interventions in Nigeria’s voting process, no matter how digitised, that is very rare in Ghana. Vote buying is almost a taboo there, but here it is the norm.”
Issac Uwanna, a political analyst, said that Ghana has always had reliable elections compared to Nigeria, and their electoral system is such that is dependable and reasonably trustworthy, noting that seeing their election turn out the way it did is not a surprise.
Uwanna noted that the dynamics of the nature of Ghana’s politics and citizens’ political consciousness was at play in the presidential election.
He further stated that Ghana’s electoral system seems not to give room for political manipulation by political actors, unlike what happens in Nigeria where the system was designed in such a way that politicians can easily make a quick run over it.
According to him, “The electoral institution in Ghana is more independent than ours as all political stakeholders have little or no influence over it when it comes to carrying out their statutory duties.
“On our climes, the ‘independent’ was just a mere adjective without any significance because the electoral body has never shown its independence in how it carries out its duties.
“The independence of an electoral body would go a long way in its effectiveness, efficiency and transparency as a political institution.”
Similarly, Ladipo Johnson, lawyer and the National Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), said that it was obvious Nigeria has a problem with the electoral process, noting that it can be solved by willingness of all stakeholders.
“We are nowhere near them in elections, Ghana is ahead of us and we know that; let us do the right thing, we know the problem we have,” he said.
Speaking on the Ghana’s election and the way forward for the Nigerian electoral process, Jide Ojo, lawyer and political analyst, said that the country must urgently embark on political reforms ahead of 2027, while President Bola Tinubu should scout for a virtuous woman to replace Mahmood Yakubu, current INEC chairman.
“Things like the civic political culture, provision for early voting, independent candidacy, robust political party management system, constitutionally backed date for elections, election of more women into executive and legislative positions, reduction of qualification age to run for State Houses of Assembly and Councillorship positions should be determined by the law,” Ojo said.
Read also: Ghana’s flawless election shows what Nigeria is getting wrong
Ghana’s Electoral Commission confirmed that 66-year-old Mahama’s party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), had scored 56% of the ballots cast in the poll.
This election has once again cemented Ghana’s reputation as a beacon of democracy in Africa. The election was widely lauded for its transparency and efficiency by local and international observers.
“We are grateful that the election has gone very well. The process and its outcome so far have been commendable,” Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who monitored the election, said on Sunday.
In contrast, Nigeria’s 2023 general election, marred by irregularities and technological failures, cost N313.4 billion ($215 million). Yet it still raises serious concerns as to the effective use of resources and how INEC officials conducted themselves during the election.
What sets Ghana apart?
Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) demonstrated impeccable planning and resource management, focusing on essentials like logistics and voter education. This approach resulted in a smooth election, devoid of major disruptions.
In comparison, Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) faced numerous challenges in the 2023 presidential election despite its enormous budget.
Key technologies such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), designed to enhance transparency, failed at crucial moments. Logistical delays, equipment breakdowns, and allegations of vote manipulation further eroded public confidence.
Cost efficiency
Ghana’s modest election budget reflects fiscal discipline and strategic resource allocation. In Nigeria, however, questions linger about how the massive election funds were spent upon.
Critics point to inefficiency, corruption, and inflated contracts as factors that may have undermined the process, making the exorbitant expenditure difficult to justify.
Public trust
A key differentiator is the level of trust or otherwise in the electoral institution. Ghana’s EC has built credibility over the years through transparent operations and stakeholder engagement. This trust has helped to reduce tensions and foster public confidence in the electoral process.
In contrast, INEC struggles with a deficit of trust, stemming from allegations of incompetence and bias. This mistrust often leads to voter apathy, protests, and prolonged disputes over election outcomes.
Simplified process
Ghana’s electoral process is relatively straightforward, minimising logistical hurdles. On the other hand, Nigeria’s elections are more complex, with multiple contests held simultaneously across federal, state, and local levels. This complexity often overwhelms INEC, leading to operational failures.
Ghana’s success underscores the importance of efficient planning, fiscal discipline, and public trust in achieving credible elections.
For Nigeria, the path to electoral credibility lies in addressing these systemic shortcomings and prioritising the integrity of its democratic processes. Without major reforms, public confidence in Nigeria’s elections will continue to wane.
While Nigeria prides itself as the giant of Africa or the most populous nation on the continent, it is yet to get its elections right. On the other hand, Ghana and other smaller nations have been able to get their acts together and produce elections that the citizens are proud of.
“When you have flawed elections, where you have elections that are stolen, or rules are not respected, or electoral commissions are not transparent and do not inspire public confidence, what you get is the kind of litigation you see not just in Nigeria but in other parts of Africa,” said Samson Itodo, the executive director of Yiaga Africa, praising Ghana’s election.
Agbakoba reacts
Speaking exclusively to BusinessDay on his takeaway from the election, Olisa Agbakoba, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said: “A great and credible election process is the conflation of many very important factors. The first and most important is a disciplined professional political class that espouses ideologies that the party they represent believe. The second important factor is basic. There simply has to be an impartial transparent accountable election management agency that holds itself above partisan politics and stands ready to defend the conduct of free and fair elections. The third critical factor and no less important, is the people, the voters who make choices on the basis of informed decisions and not emotive or ethnic or sentimental motivations.
“A fourth and even most critical are an active civil society prepared to stand, contest and defend the electoral process in ways that results of elections will be defended if trifled and challenged if tampered with. These and many other factors are critical to the outcomes of the good results in Ghana.”
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