With less than one month to the conduct of the presidential and National Assembly elections, political campaigns are in top gear at every level of governance. Various organisations and groups are putting mechanisms in place to ensure that the electorate are not hoodwinked. Senior Correspondent, ONYEWUCHI OJINNAKA, spoke with various interest groups on their involvement before, during and after the elections.
On February 14, 2015, Nigerians will troop out to various polling booths all over the federation to vote for the presidential and National Assembly candidates of their choice. Nigerians are expected to vote for credible candidates who will deliver their electoral promises; candidates who will pull the country out from the woods, from the shackles of poverty, economic woes, and move the country forward and place it on top as one of the best economies in the world.
Already, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has invited registered civil society organisations (CSOs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other interested stakeholders whose focus is on democracy, governance and election, and who wish to observe the general elections scheduled to hold on February 14 (Presidential and National Assembly) and February 28 (Governorship and House of Assembly) to signify interest by obtaining the application forms.
Various CSOs and NGOs have expressed interest and indeed registered with INEC for the purpose of monitoring the said elections. But beyond that, these civil groups have gone extra mile to put in place programmes aimed at educating and enlightening the electorate on their constitutional rights to vote for a candidate of their choice.
Already, various political parties have commenced serious campaigns to sell their manifestoes to the electorate. However, it has been observed that over 60 per cent of the eligible voters have no better and enlightened information on their rights and choice of voting. It is against this background that some civil society groups embarked on enlightenment programme to educate and inform the electorate on what they should look out for while voting for any candidate or party.
Speaking with TheNiche on the mechanisms put in place to ensure credible voting pattern, the executive director of Abuja-based Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Idayat Hassan, said that her organisation has started to organise what he described as ‘issue-based politics’ whereby a platform is created and the two major political parties are invited to speak on how they can deliver their electoral promises, and how they can impact positively on the people of Nigeria if elected.
According to her, last month, CDD organised inter-party debates on topical socio-economic and political issues ahead of general elections on its Nigerian Political Parties Discussion Series (NPPDS) platform.
She said the key objective of this intervention is to promote issue-based politics transparency and accountability in government’s engagement with citizens. The debate involved leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). The essence of the debate was for the parties to enlighten Nigerians on their respective policies and programmes, as contained in their respective manifestos. Thus, NPPDS has given political parties a rare and unique opportunity to present their programmes on sector basis, to Nigerians, as a way of entrenching the culture of issue-based politics and fostering democratic accountability in the country.
While disclosing what CDD has done, Hassan further said the organisation is not only looking at what happens on the day of election, but at the whole processes such as the impartiality of INEC, its readiness to conduct a credible election, sensitising people in states like Jigawa, Yobe and Borno.
“It is not just the issue of voting, but what the electorate can gain from the party that wins,” Hassan posed.
Saying that CDD is proactive in its programmes towards the success of the February general elections, Hassan urged the federal government to increase the current financial allocation to INEC to allow INEC conduct effective voter education and establish an Electoral Offences Commission, to ensure that those who commit electoral offences are held accountable.
On the part of INEC, she urged the commission to intensify its partnership with organisations such as National Orientation Agency (NOA), the Federal Ministry of Information and other umbrella bodies such as the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ).
The commission should also work with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in radio and television programmes designed to increase voter education in Nigeria, partner with CSOs to develop context-specific voter education materials incorporating issues from before, during, and after elections and take the lead in the re-orientation of the Nigerian public from voter education to civic education.
Speaking on what are expected from political parties, the CDD executive director urged political parties to deepen voter education among their members because they are the major beneficiaries during elections.
Parties should concentrate on developing issue-based policies in their manifestos and campaign only on issues as a means of attracting votes during election, mobilise their supporters and members to enhance their chances at elections.
Commenting on the activities of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), she expressed her desire for NHRC to embark on voter education by highlighting issues that are related to electoral justice and electoral offences and amplify its electoral impunity campaign by continuously publishing the names of those indicted by Nigerian courts for electoral malpractices in previous elections.
She enjoined other CSOs and professional bodies to devise means of reaching out to voters to exercise their mandates in a way that positively influences the outcome of elections, concentrate on working with local partners to develop issue- based civic education materials, include post-election mandate protection as a core component of election cycle projects and prioritise socio, cultural and political contexts in their voter education messaging.
Hassan maintained that CSOs should deliberately target their voter education exercises at the grassroots, to meet the larger and uninformed populace.
Also speaking with TheNiche, the executive director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Rafsanjani, said that CISLAC has mapped out programmes aimed at educating the electorate on the need to go out and vote as their constitutional right, to avoid electoral violence and ensure that they vote credible candidates.
“We encourage the electorate and advise that when they vote, they should stay back, but peacefully, to watch the counting and ensure that the votes are counted properly and results announced. The party agents should sign in the presence of other observers and in a peaceful manner too,” Rafsanjani said.
According to him, agents should not be used to intimidate the voters, adding that CISLAC is educating the electorate to ensure that looters and criminals are not elected; rather credible candidates should be elected and the electorate should know the candidates they are voting for very well.
In a discussion with the Policy, Advocacy and Campaign Manager of Action Aid International Nigeria (AAIN), Tunde Aremu, he said it is not just about election monitoring.
AAIN, Aremu added, is already working in about 10 states of the federation and the Federal Capital territory (FCT), in conjunction with other organisations that are deeply rooted in those areas, to ensure that elections are held in accordance with the electoral laws. The group is organising meetings with various town halls, unions and associations as a way of enlightenment and education of the electorate. For him, citizens’ participation in such meetings is necessary for informed decision while they are voting. He advised politicians to keep to their electoral promises and what the people really need.
Aremu posited that election monitoring is not just the real issue, but organising a forum where people are sensitised.
In the same vein, the executive director, Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CISNAC), Lanre Suraj disclosed that CISNAC, in partnership with other sister civil groups, is organising a parley where the two major political parties in Nigeria are invited to speak on how they can address some knotty national issues of importance such as resource management and accountability.
“We are partnering with sister organisations to ensure that not only the result of the election is accurately announced, but also that people are not intimidated to vote against their choice,” Suraj explained.
“We are criticising parties for embarking on campaign of calumny or character assassination.”
He expressed the delight of CISNAC on the intervention of former United Nation Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, who cautioned that politicians to tread with caution during their campaigns.
Suraj cautioned against electoral violence, stressing that government should ensure that those who perpetrate political violence are prosecuted. He regretted that in the past, violators were left to roam the streets, but now, it should be different.
“They (violators of electoral law) should be arrested and prosecuted, if we should have a violence-free elections,” he said, expressing delight over the accord signed by the presidential candidates of various political parties to eschew violence, character assassination, name-calling and any other form of political bitterness.
The presidential candidates appended their signatures on the document after a one-day election sensitisation workshop organised by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), in collaboration with some international development partners.
According to the contents of the accord, the candidates are to take proactive measures to prevent electoral violence before, during and after the elections, and re-affirmed their commitment to Nigeria’s constitution.
The candidates also agreed to be steadfast in promoting the unity and corporate existence of Nigeria as an indivisible entity and be determined to avoid any conduct or behaviour that would endanger the political stability and security of the country.
They further pledged to place national interest above personal and partisan interest and abide by all rules and regulations as laid down in the legal framework for elections in the country.
Part of the accord, which was signed by over 10 presidential candidates reads: “We, the under-signed, pledge to run issue-based campaigns at national, state and local government levels. In this, we pledge to refrain from campaigns that will involve religious sentiments, ethnic or tribal profiling, both by ourselves and all agents acting in our name.
“To refrain from making or causing to make in our names or that of our parties any public statement, pronouncement, declaration or speeches that have the capacity to incite any form of violence before, during and after the elections.
“To forcefully and publicly speak out against provocative utterances and oppose all acts of electoral violence, whether perpetuated by our supporters and, or opponents.
“To commit ourselves and political parties to the monitoring of the adherence of this accord if necessary, by a national peace committee made up of respected statesmen and women, traditional and religious leaders.”
