Election observer group Yiaga Africa has said that Nigeria must move beyond holding “relatively peaceful” elections to processes that inspire trust and confidence in the electoral system.
Speaking on Channels Television today, its Programme Director Cynthia Mbamalu, explained that the by-elections were generally peaceful except for some constituencies where there were attempts to disrupt voting.
“Overall, it was a relatively peaceful process except for some constituencies in some states where there were issues of thugs trying to disrupt the process at some polling units. We need to move beyond just having a relatively peaceful process to a process that can inspire trust in the system,” Mbamalu said.
She noted that the main problem confronting the polls was the management of results.
“One major challenge we are beginning to have and experience is the process of result management process,” she said.
According to her, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had already made provisions for electronic collation in its guidelines, but the challenge was how it was applied.
“The truth is, the electoral commission had in its guidelines provided for result management that the process of electronic coalition is also still part of the election guidelines,” Mbamalu explained.
She further argued that decisions on over-voting and ballot cancellations create confusion.
For her, the real question is not about peace but about compliance.
“The bigger question when it comes to an election is no longer saying it was relatively peaceful because we expect elections to be peaceful normally.
She also blamed political parties for undermining elections.
“Parties should actually take responsibility for how they have undermined the process due to their desperation to win power at all costs,” she added.
“A lot of work has gone into trying to strengthen the process, strengthen INEC’s independence, get voters to care enough to show up and to vote but it’s almost like the more work you do to strengthen the process to advance democratic principle the greater threat our politicians, our political class deploy to undermine the effort and to take us backwards,” Mbamalu said.
