By AUGUSTINE ABU
As the preparation for 2019 general elections inn Nigeria is gathering momentum, there is fear that unless certain issues are resolved, the country may be heading towards election crisis.
Speaking on the preparation for the 2019 general election, a chieftain of Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, insisted that anybody talking about the election without restructuring are the worst enemies of the country. Chief Adebanjo and other leaders in the south have met severally and insisted that the only way the country could move forward is for the present administration to commence the process of its restructuring. They expressed disappointment why the APC led administration has failed to take the issue of restructuring into the front burner as recommended by the last National Conference.
Furthermore, at a recent media parley organized by One Voice, a coalition of Civil Society Organizations in Lagos, participants expressed doubt on the ability of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a credible poll judging by security and other challenges facing the country which the present administration has demonstrated enough courage to tackle.
The group believed that unless the ongoing rift between the executive and the legislature is resolved to the interest of both sides, the election may suffer a lot of hitches.
They also believe that the inability of the security agents to tame the ongoing herdsmen/farmers clash in the country, would affect the successful conduct of the election. It suggested the total overhaul of INEC to ensure its independence.
The delay in passing the INEC budget is another cloud that is gathering against the successful conduct of the election. With less than six months to the general elections and the debate over the budget of the electoral umpire is still a debate between the executive and the legislature, observers believe the country may need miracle to conduct a successful election.
While many Nigerians believe the National Assembly is frustrating the effort to conduct a successful election by its failure to approve the budget on time, the Senate President has accused the Presidency of submitting the budget late. “We have the month of January, February, March and April to submit the budget to the National Assembly, but they decided to wait till the last minute,” Saraki said.
The recent conduct of Ekiti governorship election may have further accentuated the doubt of the people over a successful and free election next year.
The election was allegedly characterized by vote buying which politicians and analysts described as a danger signal for the forth coming general elections. The two leading political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) were reported to be the greatest culprits. Several politicians described the election as a shame to the country and suggested that it should be cancelled.
Speaking on the Ekiti election, the National Chairman of Action Democratic Party (ADP) Alhaji Yabagi Isah-Yususf in a n interview with a Television reporter described the election as a charade which made a mockery of the acclaimed war against corruption which the present administration claimed to be fighting. He lambasted the present administration for not doing anything to checkmate both buying if truly it is committed to fighting corruption as claimed.
He suggested that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should be strengthened in order to monitor the election against vote buying which has brought a dent on the country’s democratic experience. He further said that anybody found guilty of vote buying should be ban from participating in politics for some years.
With less than a month to Osun governorship election, the onus is on the government and the commission to ensure that the election is credible in order to create confidence on its ability to conduct a free and credible election in 2019.
