Independent National Electoral Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega has said that there may be no elections come 2015 in the troubled states of the North East where the rate of insurgency is high.
Several National Youth Service Corps members and other staff of the electoral body lost their lives in the violence surrounding the 2011 elections, and INEC is planning to forestall a worsened repeat of that incidence.
Jega also stated that the 2015 elections would gulp over N90 billion.
Jega said, “Our estimate is that the cost of election per voter, which is an international standard for viewing the cost of elections is coming down in Nigeria. We project that for the 2015 elections, this would come further down by almost $1 from $8.8 in 2011 to $7.9, representing almost a 10 per cent drop.
“This compares favourably with some other African countries. However, we are anxious about all our funding requirements being met well in advance of the 2015 general elections.”
He estimated that 73.5 million Nigerians would participate in the elections, bringing the funding requirement to N93 billion.
Speaking on the possibility of polling being held in the North Eastern states under a State of Emergency, Jega said it would be impossible to conduct a free and fair election in troubled spots.
He said, “Unless security situation changes in the zone, the commission would not conduct elections in there.
“It is my hope that the challenges in the North-East will be resolved before 2015. If the security is such that we cannot do election, then we may need to fall back on the law to suspend it or postpone it.”
He said, “The situation under a state of emergency is that you cannot conduct a free and fair election. Ideally, you cannot conduct election under a period of emergency.”
“Pre-election violence has led to the death of many politicians, their supporters and innocent citizens. Widespread intimidation of voters persists and organised thugs spread fear across communities in the build up to elections.
“In any case, elections in Nigeria are a winner-takes-all affair, while the loser loses everything akin to payment of reparations by an enemy defeated in a war. In fact, election security has become a lasting issue facing the management of elections in Nigeria.
“Several security threats now characterise the electoral process. These include physical attacks on INEC officials and facilities, attacks on security personnel on election duty, misuse of security orderlies by politicians, attacks on political opponents, cyber attacks targeting INEC’s databases, especially the voter register and violence during electioneering. Other threats are intimidation of voters, snatching and destruction of election materials, among others.
“These threats are now exacerbated by insecurity in some parts of the country, thereby making the conduct of elections in those parts even more insecure.”
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