Judul : What the new INEC chair should do - Dazang
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What the new INEC chair should do - Dazang
In this interview, Mr Nick Dazang, a retired director of Voter Education and publicity of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who worked with various chairmen, including the incumbent speaks on how the umpire has fared during elections and advised on the pitfalls to be avoided by a new chairman after Prof Mahmood Yakubu.
The INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu will be exiting soon, what is your idea of the kind of person that should take over from him for successful and credible elections in 2027?
INEC chairmanship is a tough call. If we want to have elections that are credible and meet international best practices and standards, we should have a person who is a stickler for the constitution and the electoral act. The person must also possess certain requisite qualities. He or she must be hardworking, hands-on, capable, savvy, sagacious, transparent, neutral, impartial and courageous. The person must have character and be a person of unimpeachable integrity. Character means that his/her word is his/her bond. Integrity will inspire INEC staff to do their jobs professionally and without compromise. It will also send a message, in the starkest relief, to unscrupulous politicians that it is not business as usual.
But in addition to these qualities, the environment must be provided for the commission to discharge its mandate in an unfettered and unencumbered manner. The commission should be fully funded, such that it does not go cap-in- hand begging the executive and legislative branches, thereby compromising its independence.
There seems to be a preference for people in the academia, mainly professors, should that trend continue?
No. The major consideration, in time past, was that our academia were the havens and epitomes of excellence and integrity. But these rarefied attributes can be found in other arenas and jurisdictions. We should, therefore, cast the net wide.
Recently, a political leader, Buba Galadima, warned that a certain retired judge should not be made the INEC chairman because of his past record. From what you know, is there a retired judge being considered; and what would be the implication of that statement?
I do not know. I can neither divine nor speculate. Only the nominating authority, namely, the president can do so. What is crucially important and pivotal is that a person of unimpeachable integrity and proven capability should be nominated, pending approval by the Senate.
Should the geopolitical zone the person hails from matter or the appointment should be done purely on merit?
The appointment, apart from its being informed by integrity and proven ability, should be merit-based. Only a person of merit can inspire merit or demand excellence. Of course, as much as possible, the person nominated should not be proximate to or be seen to be close to the nominating authority.
Some have suggested that the INEC chairman should not come from the same zone as the sitting president. Should that matter?
I think it matters; the further away from the president the better, otherwise lurid insinuations and innuendos will be made. This is a job that does not require any iota of doubt or controversy as these would colour the conduct and outcome of elections.
By November when the next INEC chairman would be appointed, it would be less than two years to elections. Do you think the time is enough for him to settle down and do a good job?
The earlier an INEC chairperson is appointed and he/she settles down, the better. By my reckoning and from experience, an INEC chairperson needs at least six months to one year to debrief directors, engage with other critical stakeholders, National Assembly Committees on INEC, defend the commission's budget and acclimatise.
A national commissioner who had, prior to his appointment, was an election observer and had handled election cases, confided in me that it took him two years to have a full appreciation of the commission's workings and nuances. Besides understanding the intricacies of the commission and its workings, procurement processes are expected to commence in earnest. This is not to add the fact that the timetable and schedule for the conduct of the 2027 general elections need to be issued pursuant to sections 76(2), 116(2), 132(2) and 178(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). Also, based on section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, the notice for the 2027 elections is expected to be issued 360 days before the conduct of the elections.
What is your agenda for the next INEC chairman? What specific areas does he need to address for Nigeria to have transparent and credible elections?
The next chairperson should address the commission's perennial logistics challenges. The person should ensure that electronic transmission of results from the polling unit to the INEC Election Result Viewing Portal (IREV), real time, is provided for by law. This should plug the loophole identified by the Supreme Court and enhance the credibility of our elections. The person should ensure that there is a review of the electoral legal framework to provide for the establishment of an electoral offences commission and tribunal, as well as provide for diaspora or out-of-country voting and early voting. Henceforth, infractions of our electoral laws should be sanctioned, to the full extent of the law and in the glare of stakeholders in order to check impunity and serve as deterrence to would-be violators. Above all, proactive communication and robust voter education should inform the electoral process.
What is your view on the recent prequalification of 14 associations with a view to getting registered as political parties?
Ordinarily, the registration of more political parties ought to represent an expansion of the democratic space. It also offers voters more platforms from which to choose candidates and parties contesting. Unfortunately, most of these parties are not ideology-driven. Secondly, the more parties you register, the more the cost in terms of ballot papers, ballot boxes, logistics and voter education.
Voter education becomes a serious challenge, if not a nightmare, because our political parties seldom invest in educating and mobilising voters. This arduous task is often left to INEC, the media and civil society
How would you assess the performance of the current chairman, who has presided over two major elections?
Professor Mahmood visited a number of progressive innovations and reforms of the electoral process. He introduced such technologies as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing Portal(IREV). On his watch, more access to polling units was seamlessly created. He expanded and honed strategic planning and the election project plan. Also, Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), as contemplated in sections 9 and 10 of the electoral act were commenced for at least one year before the conduct of a general election since its flag-off on Thursday, April 27, 2017 on his watch. However, the non- upload, real time, of election results from polling units to the IREV during the 2023 presidential election as provided for in paragraph 38 of the regulations and guidelines for the conduct of elections, 2022 affected the credibility of the 2023 general elections.
I am afraid that this is a dent that will affect his place in the annals of our elections. I am afraid too that it has perpetuated the sad myth that INEC is a graveyard for hard-earned reputations.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).Thus the article What the new INEC chair should do - Dazang
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