A former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Peter Mac Manu, has commented on the ongoing Nigerian elections.
Speaking as an Election observer of the Democratic Union of Africa, Peter Mac Manu said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria has done what it could to ensure a successful election.
According to him, elections entail a lot of processes that require everyone, from the electoral commission to the electorate to play their roles well in order to make the exercise successful.
The former Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) stated that, while Nigeria’s election had some challenges, such as delay in the provision of election logistics and pockets of violence, the INEC has fulfilled its mandate.
Speaking on JoyNews’ The Probe/Nigeria Decides on Sunday, Mr. Mac Manu said, “on the eve of the election, we expected a peaceful orderly election, and as a matter of fact, I would say INEC has done its bit, because there are other major stakeholders, who are to contribute their bit.”
According to him, from his observations on the day of the elections, there was order at the various polling units, and that election materials had been distributed to these polling units in preparation for the election.
He said, “Yesterday, on my rounds, to the polling units, it was orderly. The day before, at dawn, at the registration centres, where in the morning, election materials were distributed to the poll units, the vehicles were there, the drivers were there.”
However, he noted that some factors, such as the financial crisis and fuel shortages, may have had an impact on the INEC and may have contributed to the delay in the deployment of logistics to some polling stations.
“You have to take all these into a holistic consideration to be able to know whether some polling stations were late in opening, but these are some of the reasons.”
Mr Mac Manu, however, disclosed that INEC promised to extend the time for the closing of voting beyond 2:30pm should there be a delay, and this promise was fulfilled.
He reckoned that, “Nigeria has a huge voter population, 93 million. And about 93% collected their PVCs (Permanent Voters Card), so it’s a huge task. Nevertheless, when you break it into the 37 states, the 774 local government areas … and you come to the 176 thousand plus polling stations, then it becomes manageable.”
With that, he stressed that election is a total cooperation from all stakeholders such as media, security, political parties and civil society groups and reiterated that the INEC did its best.
Nigeria went to the polls on Saturday, February 25, 2023 to elect a new president after almost eight years of Muhammadu Buhari being in power.
A total of 18 candidates were campaigning for the top job, but according to opinion polls only three have a realistic chance of winning.
The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, won the Gombe State presidential vote on February 25.
In the 11 local government areas (LGAs) of the state, he received 319,123 votes, according to the results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to the Gombe State Collation Officer, Prof Maimuna Waziri, who announced the results around 1 a.m. on Monday, the PDP candidate received the most votes in the North-East state.
The former vice president defeated his closest competitors, Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), by a margin of more than 160,000 votes.
Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received presidential results from various parts of the country and counting is currently underway in Lagos.
Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for president, cast his ballot at a polling location in Bourdillion, Ikoyi, Lagos State.
He did so along with other party leaders and his wife Remi. Speaking to reporters, he declared that Nigeria’s democracy “is here to stay” and that he is “too confident of victory.”
He claimed that the voting process was “going well” and “going smoothly.”
On the turnout of voters, the APC candidate said, “This is expected; we need a good turnout, and that is the adoption and the commitment to democracy and the democratic process that must take place.”
Asked how certain of victory he is, Tinubu said, “I’m too certain.”
The APC flag bearer is one of the leading candidates in the race for Aso Rock. Tinubu’s major contenders include Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
Accreditation and voting have commenced in many polling units across Nigeria as the 87.2 million voters with Permanent Voter Cards go to the polls to elect a new president and members of the country’s National Assembly.
Officials of the country’s electoral agency,the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), are on the ground at the 176,606 polling units scattered across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory that make up Nigeria.
Ahead of the presidential and national assembly elections which will be held on Saturday, February 25, 2023, some voters have resorted to sleeping at a polling station in order for them to be able to cast their votes on time.
A video that has emerged on Twitter shows Nigerians lying on mattresses and using mosquito nets at a polling station in an undisclosed area, as they wait eagerly to cast their votes.
The commentary said the eligible citizens arrived at the polling unit before 2 am.
There are about 93.4 million eligible voters for the polls this year, with the highest record of youth involvement in the country’s political history.
The Federal High Court in Gusau, Zamfara State has nullified the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship primary election in the state held on May 25, 2022.
The primary election was nullified on the grounds of irregularities and non-compliance with the party’s 2017 Constitution as well as its electoral guidelines for the conduct of elections.
Justice Aminu B. Aliyu nullified the governorship primary while delivering judgment in Suit No. FHC/GS/CS/13/2022, filed by Dr. Ibrahim Shehu Gusau, Aliyu Hafiz Muhammad and Mallam Wadatau Madawaki against the purported primary election, which sought the order of the court to nullify it for breaching the constitutional provisions and other instant laws.
Joined in the suit were the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adamu Maina Waziri, Chairman, Zamfara State Governorship primary election of PDP; Col. Bala Mande (rtd), Chairman, Zamfara State chapter of the PDP; Dr. Dauda Lawal Dare and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants 1 to 5.
Justice Aliyu in a Certified True Copy of the judgment delivered on September 16, 2022, which SaharaReporters obtained exclusively, restrained the PDP from submitting the name of Dr. Dauda Lawal Dare, the 4th Defendant to INEC as its candidate for the governorship election in Zamfara State come 2023 unless a valid primary election is conducted in compliance with the 2017 Constitution and electoral guidelines of the PDP.
The Plaintiffs/Applicants in the suit filed on July 6, 2022, had sought other reliefs “an Order directing the 1st Defendant (PDP) to conduct a valid Primary Election for Governorship position in Zamfara State under the full supervision of the 5th Defendant (INEC) and present the winner to the 5th Defendant for enlistment as the party’s candidate for the 2023 General Election in Nigeria.
“An Order directing the 5th Defendant (INEC) to accept the Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Partyin Zamfara State for the 2023 General Election upon the valid conduct of Primary Election on the Order of Court.”
But in its judgment, the court ordered: “A declaration is made that the 1st Defendant Governorship Primary Election in Zamfara State Claimed to have been held on 25th May, 2022 was conducted in flagrant violation of Sections 50(2) (b) & (3) of the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party, 2017 (as amended).
“A declaration is made that the importation of staunch members of the opposition party into the 1st Defendant’s list delegates and the consequent failure to validly conduct accreditation of delegates and announcement of the total number of delegates accredited to vote at the 1st Defendant’s Governorship Primary Election in Zamfara State on the 25th May, 2022 is a substantial irregularity and same is offensive to part V8(c) (d) (e) & (6) of the Peoples Democratic Party Electoral Guidelines for the conduct of Primary Election.
“An Order is made nullifying the Peoples Democratic Party’s Governorship Primary Election in Zamfara State claimed to have been held on the 25th May, 2022 on the grounds of irregularities and non-compliance with the 2017 Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party as well as its Electoral Guidelines for the conduct of Primary Election.
“An Order of injunction is made restraining the 1st Defendant from submitting the name of the 4th Defendant to the 5th Defendant as the Peoples Democratic Party flag bearer for the Governorship Election in Zamfara State come 2023 unless a valid Primary Election is conducted in compliance with the 2017 Constitution and Electoral Guidelines of the Peoples Peoples Democratic Party.
“An Order is made directing the 1st Defendant to conduct a valid Primary Election for Governorship position in Zamfara State under the full supervision of the 5th Defendant and present the winner to the 5th Defendant for enlistment as the party’s candidate for the 2023 General Election in Nigeria.”
The plaintiff had while arguing their case told the court that the electoral act provides a mandatory 21-day notice to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the conduct of any primary election, adding that a non-compliance with this provision of the law renders any purported election, primary or nomination invalid.
Section 85 (1) of the Electoral Act (as amended) provides that: “Every registered political party shall give the Commission at least 21-day notice of any convention, congress, conference or meeting convened for the purpose of electing members of its executive committees, other governing bodies or nominating candidates for any of the elective offices specified under this Act.”
A source who is a legal practitioner said, “It is well-settled law that where legislation lays down a procedure for doing a thing, there should be no other method of doing it. Thus, where a notice of primary election given to INEC whereat a candidate emerged as a candidate is short of the mandatory 21 days, that candidate is not qualified to contest the election.
“While surprisingly Zamfara state PDP conducts a primary election within three days which is purely a violation of electoral legislation and it’s highly nonsensical.
“As it has been held that any violation of the 21 days mandatory notice goes to the root of the sponsorship or qualification of a candidate. See Dangana v. Usman. In that case, the qualification of the 1st Appellant to contest election into the Senate was attacked on the basis of the invalid primary election from which he emerged as a candidate and which primary election did not comply with the mandatory provision of Section 85 of the Electoral Act 2010.
“Therefore, Dr. Dauda Lawal has breached the statute in order to impose himself as ‘a candidate’ of the PDP in the upcoming 2023 general election. In the eye of the law, his failure to meet the due process of law will surely invalidate his attempt to be regarded as a candidate sponsored by the PDP.
“Also, the case of C.P.C. v. Ombugadu further underscores the point that for a candidate to emerge and properly acquire the right to be nominated and sponsored by a political party at an election, he ought to have emerged from a properly conducted primary election. Per Ngwuta J.S.C. thus: ‘…the sole purpose of a party’s primary election is the emergence of one of the contestants as the party’s candidate at the election…I subscribe to the above view and I wish to add that there can be no nomination of a candidate and acquisition of a vested interest in an inconclusive party primary election.’
“In the case of Labour Party v. Wike, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division reviewed and upheld the earlier decision of the Tribunal on its interpretation and application of Section 85(1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended). In that case, the Labour Party had sponsored a candidate for the governorship election but the notice it gave for its primary election was less than the 21 days prescribed by Section 85(1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended). The party and its candidate lost the election and the party presented the election petition subject matter of the appeal.
“In conclusion, the above position of the law has shown that only a candidate who duly complied with electoral provisions can participate in an election.”
Nigeria’s electoral commission has cleared 18 candidates to contest the presidential election scheduled for February next year.
In a list published on Tuesday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) noted that 18 parties had fielded presidential candidates and their running mates.
The list includes the names of the 75-year-old veteran presidential contestant and former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar of the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party, and former Lagos governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu, 70, of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Election campaigns officially begin next week on Wednesday.
Rampant insecurity, chronic unemployment, and a worsening economic outlook are among the issues the candidates are expected to address.
Nigeria has a population of more than 200 million people, out of which more than 95 million voters have registered to participate in the coming election.
