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The 2007 INEC report

Written by Habib Yakoob

Friday, 26 October 2007

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has finally come up with its report on the conduct of the 2007 election. I have taken time to read it, but limited space would not afford me the opportunity to share my opinion on that, in detail with you today. Happily, Ruben Abati of the Guardian has made a very detailed and instructive review of the Report. A copy was sent to my mail box by a friend a couple of days back. But I won’t run away totally from making some points about it. As far as it goes, the report was not different from the usual posture, tone and temperament of the INEC boss, Maurice Iwu.

As usual, the media, the international community, the political class were given a large doss of blames for that election. It also fingered the tenure elongation and the crisis between the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo and the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar as factors which almost disrupted the course of the election. Then the Professor Iwu led INEC gave itself almost a distinction in the conduct of that election. It fell short of saying that it was the only organ which made the success of that election possible.

It nevertheless saw as a handicap, INEC lack of complete autonomy, and made a strong case for that. True, in a situation where the INEC fund is tied to the whims and caprices of one man sitting on the throne at Aso Rock, the tendency that its activities can be manipulated is very high. It is the same thing with the appointment of the boss by the President.

But you see, one of the major problems of the Commission was the fact that it never admitted its glaring failures. Even before the election, Nigerians including the media and civil society had drawn attention to the shoddy nature the Commission had prepared for the election, but the Commission turned a deaf ear. This weakness, including the incompleteness of the voters registration exercise had trailed the conduct of the 2007 April election.

Besides, INEC’s subjectivity as an umpire had also affected the conduct of the election. Because it was determined to protect the interest of its masters, it went on for instance, to disqualify candidates and aspirants with reckless abandon. Today, some elections are being nullified by the tribunal because the disqualification was needless in the first place. Iwu preferred to serve the interest of these masters rather than the populace.

It is good that the commission has noted some ways forward, but it is instructive to note that this is not a new thing. As I have said before, the problem with the country’s electoral system is long known. Except we decide to flaunt our usual pretence. Until drastic measures by way of ensuring autonomy is taken and punishment meted out to INEC bosses who deliberately took side with a party or candidate, we are no doubt going to repeat the same fraud, called the 2007 election.

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