As the Edo and Ondo state off-cycle gubernatorial elections beckon, all eyes are focused on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) about the conduct of the polls. Nigerians earnestly expect a rebound to credibility and consistency by the electoral body, a situation where it will walk its talk.

From Monday through Wednesday, the chairman of the election umpire body, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has been meeting different stakeholders in the electoral process. He briefed them on the resumption of the continuous voter registration exercise in the two states and reiterated his desire to have credible and all-inclusive elections. On Monday, the electoral chairman tasked the leaders of political parties to work in synergy with the other stakeholders to achieve the set goals.

Speaking at the meeting the electoral commission informed the political leaders that “the commission has concluded plans to resume the Continuous registration in the two states to enable eligible citizens who are not registered voters to do so. Similarly, those who are registered voters also have the opportunity to transfer their registration from other states of the federation to Edo and Ondo states or from one location to another within the states. Lost or damaged voter cards will be replaced during the exercise. The CVR will take place simultaneously in the two states from Monday, May 27, 2024, to Wednesday, June 5, 2024, between 9.00 am and 3.00 pm daily, including the weekend.”

The same message of collaboration and cooperation was passed to the Civil society groups on Tuesday and the media organisations on Wednesday. He charged the media to help mobilise the citizenry to participate in the registration process and advised that registrants should not wait till the eleventh hour before coming out to register.

Professor Mahmood’s charge to the relevant stakeholders in the off-cycle election in Edo and Ondo was not different from his nonstop engagements before the February and March 2023 general elections. It is, however, hoped that INEC would meet the expectations of Nigerians this time around. It is undeniable that the electoral commission received several flaks aftermath of the 2023 elections because of the glitch that prevented results from being announced on the IReV portal as promised.

Although the general election encompassed the entire nation and necessitated additional preparation to guarantee that almost 25 million registered voters were able to choose their representatives for both the federal government and the other 28 states of the federation. Off-cycle elections require lesser preparation because they are usually held outside of the general election scheduled in particular states or constituencies where there have been instances of court rulings, resignations, or comparable circumstances in the past.

Edo and Ondo Off-Cycle Elections

CVR-REGISTRATION-CENTRES-EDO-ONDO-STATE Continuous Voters Registration Centres

Nigeria witnessed the off-cycle election for the first time following a judicial pronouncement of fraudulent conduct in the 2023 governorship election in Anambra State. Similar developments later came up in Ekiti, Ondo, Edo, Osun, Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi states, based on the date picked for the conduct of elections in the aforementioned state.

INEC has thus conducted Kogi and Imo off-season polls a few months after the general elections. This year, the umpire has scheduled the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States for September 21 and November 16, respectively. The umpire also announced that 18 political parties would be participating in the off-season elections.

In Edo State, the incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is looking for a successor to the party’s flagbearer, his preferred candidate, Asue Ighodalo. While the central ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has Monday Okpebholo, a senator from Edo Central, as its candidate, the Labour Party has elected Mr. Olumide Akpata, former president of the Nigeria Bar Association, as its flagbearer in a unanimous primary.

For Ondo State, the incumbent governor, Mr Lucky Ayedatiwa, who was the deputy governor for the deceased former governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, is flying the flag of the party. In a similar but twisted plot, the Peoples Democratic Party chose Agboola Ajayi, Rotimi Akeredolu’s former deputy governor during his first stint as state governor, as its candidate in the election. The Labour Party (LP) selected Dr. Ayodele Festus Olorunfemi as its candidate for governor of Ondo State.

Indubitably, elections in both Edo states have witnessed some intense events in the past. For instance, there were reports of violence and heated engagements among the politicians in the state election in 2020. Similarly, the Ondo poll did not go without its narrative, in which the election was allegedly marred by logistical issues during the poll.

Given the complexities of the past events witnessed by these two states during their previous elections, fingers are crossed on how the electoral commission will manage the potential distraught without jeopardising the credibility of the gubernatorial election.

Trust Deficit, INEC and the Way Forward

INEC’s reputation has been under scrutiny by members of the public and other relevant stakeholders in the country who have accused the electoral commission of operational disparities in its conduct. For instance, the commission was heavily criticised for failing to project the election result electronically with the INEC Results Viewing (IReV) portal as promised. Another instance was the widespread suppression of voters and vote-buying that took place during the general elections.

Due to these issues, trust deficits have grown among Nigerians for the commission, making the upcoming off-cycle elections an important opportunity for INEC to rebuild public trust. However, the entire problem cannot be placed at the doorsteps of INEC as they could be security issues and those orchestrated by the political parties. But to the extent that they are about elections, Nigerians are quick to put all the blame on INEC.

To rebuild trust in the commission, INEC is expected to manage its logistical efficiencies to create transparency and accountability in its operation, such that the electorates would be able to exercise their franchise without hassles.

The commission is also expected to improve its technology to avoid technical glitches in previous elections, which have called into question their reliability. Ensuring that these technologies run smoothly is critical to fostering trust in the electoral outcome.

Since electoral violence and voter suppression have historically posed significant challenges to the country’s elections, there is a need to collaborate with security agencies to prevent electoral malpractices and voter suppression.

IPAC Says All Eyes on INEC for Credible, Acceptable Elections

In his remark, the National Chairman of the Inter-party Advisory Council (IPAC), Yusuf M. Dantalle, stressed the importance of mass mobilization of citizens for the CVR exercise in Edo and Ondo states.

He said: “As the umbrella body of all registered political parties in Nigeria, IPAC will spearhead this crucial exercise in collaboration with INEC. We are deeply concerned by the low voter turnout in recent years particularly in the 2023 general election. It calls for concerted efforts by all stakeholders in the electoral process.

“For democracy to succeed, it is very important that eligible citizens are active participants. It is obvious that your vote is your voice. For your voice to be heard, you must register to vote. It is imperative that INEC maintains an updated Register of Voters in real time.”

The IPAC Chairman also said: “All eyes are on INEC to conduct free, fair, credible, acceptable and inclusive elections. With adequate preparations, functional BVAS and capacity to upload results in real time to its IReV portal, Nigerians will once more have confidence in the electoral system where every vote will be counted and count in the overall result.”