INEC: Tales Of An Election Fiasco

[TGD]

NIGERIA'S image, which has been battered by successive bungling of the electoral process, received another beating yesterday when the much-advertised election into the National Assembly could not hold as scheduled.

The election, the first of a three-pronged affair, was to wipe away the ugly reminiscences of the 2007 balloting that was adjudged by local and international observers as the worst in the nation's history.

Indeed, Prof. Attahiru Jega, the INEC chair, promised to deliver free, fair and credible elections that would be acceptable to, not only Nigerians, but also the international community.

Hence, when he announced the postponement of the election yesterday in the middle of the exercise, reactions from all corners of Nigeria were swift in coming.

Voters were already out at polling stations across the country, and in reality, accreditation and/voting had commenced in several places when Prof. Jega called a hurried press conference to announce the postponement of the balloting.

According to him: "As you know, the National Assembly (House of Representatives and Senatorial) elections are supposed to be taking place, as I speak. You would also have noticed that things have not proceeded smoothly as expected with the elections.

"The reason for this is the unanticipated emergency we have experienced with late arrival of result sheets in many parts of the country. The result sheets are central to the integrity of the election.

"Accordingly, in many places, our officials have not reported at the polling units, making it now difficult to implement the Modified Open Ballot Procedure that we have adopted.

"Not only do we have to enter the results in the sheets, the number of accredited voters is also to be entered in the result sheet."

Jega said the INEC could have proceeded with the elections in some parts of the country where all the materials were available, such as Lagos, Kebbi, Delta, Zamfara and Enugu, among others.

However, he said that in order to maintain the integrity of the elections and retain effective overall control of the process, "the commission has taken the difficult but necessary decision to postpone the National Assembly elections to Monday, April 4, 20."

Jega reminded Nigerian's that since INEC under him started work in July 2010, it had repeatedly promised Nigerians that in carrying its duties, "we shall always be sincere and truthful with Nigerians."

"I have always said that this INEC will be upfront with Nigerians, telling you exactly how things are — sharing both our successes and difficulties with you. This is one such occasion," he said.

While appealing to Nigerians and the international community "for their understanding in this difficult situation," Jega said he took full responsibility for the unfortunate development.

His words: "I take full responsibility for what has happened because it was a major lapse that shouldn't have occurred at all, but there is nothing anybody can do.   

"It is unfortunate that it has happened. Under normal circumstance, it should not have happened, but what can we do now that it has happened? Man proposes, God disposes.

"But we have done our best under the circumstances, but that does not mean we are excusing ourselves from the blame or responsibility; we take the blame and full responsibility that goes with the job."

Last night, Jega's apologies seemed to have infuriated Nigerians, who had invested so much trust in him and the commission he heads after the fiasco of 2007.

Source: INEC: Tales Of An Election Fiasco