AN important political landmark, the Anambra State 2021 governorship election, has been conducted, won, and lost. The ballot, won by Charles Soludo of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, was described as a litmus test for the umpire and the security agencies. Agitations – often violent – by the separatist Indigenous People of Biafra had put the elections under a huge cloud of doubt. In the end, reason prevailed, allowing the exercise to go ahead as scheduled.
First, the good: Soludo, a former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, was declared governor-elect. He won at least 25 per cent of the votes cast in all the 21 local government areas and won 19 LGAs outright. Polling 112,229 votes, he roundly defeated 17 other candidates, including Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party (53,807 votes), and Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress (43,285 votes). Soludo’s victory ensures that APGA retains Anambra as its bastion, the only one it has out of the 36 states in Nigeria, succeeding Willie Obiano next March.
The uncertainty about the polls lifted at the last minute. IPOB, which had declared a sit-at-home over the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, called it off. The Independent National Electoral Commission demonstrated a hint of its prowess in technology application with the introduction of the Biometric Voter Accreditation System device. The BVAS improves on the permanent voter card. This permits easy collation and transmission of results, reduces thumbprinting, ballot box snatching and rigging. In a way, it diminished the laborious manualised collation system.
On the other hand, there were many downsides. Chief among them were the logistics cum administrative problems of INEC, militarisation, pre-election counter-litigation, violence, and low voter turnout. All this stained the poll, showing that Nigeria still has a long way to go before its elections can attain the minimum global democratic standards.
The most noticeable was the BVAS device. It instigated delays by its failure to work properly. It was slow in authenticating the fingerprints of the few voters who came out. Soludo, Ozigbo, and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, were among those who experienced delays before they could vote. This combined with the logistics and administrative delays that made voting start hours behind schedule, discomfited voters. INEC first introduced the smart card reader in 2015. By now, it should have made significant improvements in conducting elections with technology.
Another catch is the voter turnout. Out of the 2,466,638 registered voters in Anambra, only 253,388, representing 9.73 per cent, were accredited to vote. It is acutely low. It speaks to the overwhelming voter apathy in Nigeria. At 34.8 per cent in 2019, an NGO, the West Africa Brief, states that Nigeria has the lowest national voter turnout in West Africa. Its regional neighbours are far ahead, with Sierra Leone on 84.2 per cent (2018), Liberia on 75.2 per cent (2017), Ghana on 68.6 per cent (2016) and Mali on 42.7 per cent (2018). This indicates that democracy is endangered in Nigeria; it is not virile, but declining, just 22 years into the Fourth Republic.
To rescue democracy, the poor turnout should provoke a national concern. In Anambra, the run-up to the November 6 election was marked by gun violence. The governor-elect was attacked on the campaign train. Three police officers died in the attack. INEC suffered the loss of equipment after deadly attacks on its offices in the South-East starting after the October 2020 #EndSARS protests turned violent. This, perhaps, partly accounted for the logistics snags on INEC’s part. The threat by IPOB to disrupt the election dissuaded many voters from exercising their franchise.
On introspection, it is a reflection that Nigerians have lost faith in the electoral system because it has been highly compromised. There is little to show in national development and people’s wellbeing. Poverty is deepening and political office holders are swimming in affluence. The disparity is not lost on the electorate. In Anambra’s case, there was copious litigation across party lines. Courts of coordinate jurisdiction in Jigawa, Imo and Anambra states issued ex-parte rulings that threatened the election. This went up to the Supreme Court. Ordinarily, candidates should be selected seamlessly, without the courts, whose intervention usually hinges on technicalities.
In addition, the violent activities of non-state actors caused serious concerns. Chike Akunyili, the husband of the late Minister of Information, Dora, was assassinated along with seven others shortly before the polls. The attackers slaughtered 67 security agents between December 2020 and April 2021. Twenty-five police stations and the office of the State Security Service in Anambra were brazenly attacked. On their part, the agents were accused of extrajudicial killings to avenge their losses. Along with the threat of sit-at-home over Kanu’s trial, all this prevented voters from trooping out.
But there is great hope if INEC makes a significant improvement to the BVAS since the National Assembly has approved electronic voting in elections. INEC should use the governorship election in Ekiti and Osun states in 2022 to perfect its devices before the next general election in 2023.
Issues that impede peaceful elections should be addressed as the threat of violence and militarisation frightens voters. The police deployed 34,000 officers, led by two Deputy Inspectors-General, five Assistant Inspectors-General, 14 Commissioners of Police, 31 deputy CPs, and 48 Assistant CPs. The military, SSS and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps stormed the state in their numbers. This occurs only in war-torn countries. The massive deployment did not stop the balloting in Ihiala LGA from being postponed. The political parties should improve their internal affairs to reduce the pre-election compromises and litigation. With turnout at elections dwindling, voter mobilisation is crucial, by the government agencies and NGOs.
On the whole, the Anambra election has once again demonstrated the majesty of democracy. Soludo, an economics professor, is putting his glittering credentials and integrity on the line. He should turn in a worthwhile performance in office to deepen people’s trust in democracy.
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