NIGERIA IN THE 2011 ELECTIONS: Are we ready for the April 2011 Elections?

By John Demide

Nigeria as an emerging democracy has been bedeviled with the recurring question that most countries emerging from military rule are always faced with. Which is “Can they sustain such a system?” If they can, how long can they go? How well can they fair in their chosen path of democracy?

Thirteen years down the line and three elections after, Nigeria has been able to prove to skeptics that it has more than enough will to remain a democracy and prevail against all odds in the face of emergent problems. However, this does not mean that Nigeria has got it completely right. Nigeria is still in the process of evolving its own form of Democracy that fits the governance of its people in multiple areas of government.

One area of governance that particularly smacks concern is the electioneering process. Elections are seen the world over to be one of the true tests of a democracy, this is where the power of the people of a nation lays. The power to vote and be voted for without fear of intimidation or manifest thoughts of being schemed out of their vote. 

Elections in Nigeria since its reemergence into the democratic era has been seen to have been marred with various electoral flaws, from party nomination on who will be their flag bearer to contest for offices at the bottom of the legislative ladder at the local government council level, all the way to the top on who will represent the party to contest for the seat(s) at the Senate. There is of course the issue of electoral violence at elections, how far has Nigeria gone in ensuring that voters are guaranteed of their safety at polling zones? At the end of elections, do the voters’ votes actually count?

So for a country like Nigeria to be on its toes, there usually exist a cluster of pressure groups that always seek to engage the government at all times to remind them of the need to cover certain areas of concern to the general populace, such as: the Nigerian Labour Congress, ASUU, ASUP, NBA to mention but a few. Such pressure groups act as the conscience and guide to the government on the path they seem to be following.  

The Nigerian Bar Association seeing that the April elections are around the corner , deemed it fit to convene a dialogue between key stakeholders in the upcoming elections. The Nigerian Bar Association aims to convene a non-partisan gathering, where readiness of INEC will be assessed.

The gathering is tagged “The NBA Presidents consultative dialogue on the state of preparedness for the April 2011 elections”. This is a key activity under NBAs’ electoral reform programme. The programme aims amongst other things to foster an electoral environment conducive to peaceful, free and fair elections through the management and observation of the April elections; review the state of preparedness of INEC, security agencies, political parties, monitors and observers, the media and other stakeholders for the elections; identify gaps in the preparation process for the elections and proffer recommendations for successful conduct of the April elections.

The gathering will cover a myriad of issues on the preparedness of INEC to handle the upcoming April 2011 elections. In addition to the issues highlighted above, the flash points to be dealt with on “INEC and Management of the April 2011 Elections”; “Crime, Safety and Security”; and “Election Monitoring and observation”, promise to provide for a stimulating discussion between the stakeholders who will be in attendance. The gathering will be chaired by General Abdulsalam Abubakar (rtd) GCFR, the Attorney General of the Federation will be in attendance Mohammed Bello Adoke SAN, and Professor Attahiru Jega, the INEC Chairman. There will be 3 discussion sessions, chaired intermittently by Olisa Agbakoba SAN, past President of the Nigerian Bar Association, General Andrew Owoye Azazi (rtd),National Security Adviser and Wole Olanipekun SAN, Past President of the Nigerian Bar Association.