Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The national leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explanations to make to Nigerians on why its officials failed to use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines as provided in its guidelines on election day.
It said: “It is important that explanation be given to Nigerians by INEC as to why the preventable lapses were not addressed in a timely manner.”
The association said that it has noted with deep concern the recent developments in the country following the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
It said that despite the many assurances given by INEC about its level of preparedness for the polls, “it was observed in many quarters that last Saturday’s elections fell below the reasonable expectations of the people”.
A statement signed by the CAN President, Archbishop Daniel C. Okoh, said elections are vital for our country’s stability and democratic consolidation, adding that the process must be conducted and concluded safely, fairly and credibly.
However, CAN urged politicians and other stakeholders to avoid any action that could create needless tension or stoke any form of violence that could put the country on the precipice.
“For this reason, we urge political parties, candidates, supporters and the public to desist from any action that could create needless tension or stoke any form of violence that could put the country on a precipice.
“CAN specifically asks all presidential candidates to abide by the spirit and letter of the Peace Accord they signed before the elections. We remind them that this is the only country we have and we must do everything to keep it safe, united and peaceful.
“In the same breath, we encourage all political actors, elder statesmen, eminent personalities in our society, as well as religious and traditional leaders to make proactive interventions to calm any tensions and nip signs of violence in the bud,” it said.
In the statement, CAN asked INEC to do all within its scope of authority to ensure that the will of the people as expressed through the ballots during last Saturday’s presidential and federal legislative elections count.
It said: “Ideally, when people vote, the votes should be counted and allowed to reflect in the result the electoral umpire will announce. Anything short of that, remains an aberration in any democratic context and contest.
“Despite the many assurances given by INEC about its level of preparedness for the polls, it was observed in many quarters that last Saturday’s elections fell below the reasonable expectations of the people.”
CAN said that the presidential election was marred by late arrival of election materials in parts of the country, malfunction of the BVAS machines and failure of the planned electronic transmission of results to the virtual results viewing portal amid other structural challenges in the electoral process.
According to CAN, these flaws have not only cast a shadow of doubt on INEC’s sincerity to deliver a transparent and fair general election this year, but also threaten the credibility of the entire system.
“It is, therefore, important that explanation be given to Nigerians as to why the preventable lapses were not addressed in a timely manner.
“INEC must rise to the occasion in the face of this precarious situation and do everything possible to win back the slipping confidence of the people in the electoral system, especially as the country prepares for the governorship and state legislative polls in 11 days time.
“Most importantly, all Nigerians must note that the whole of the international community is watching the behaviour of federal government and its agencies, especially the police, the army and the other law-enforcement agents, to see how far they respect the country’s constitution, the rule of law and the obligation to act well in playing their roles in respect of elections.
“CAN commends the electorate for the huge number of voter turnout, which is even more than the population of several countries. However, the implication is that, once anything goes wrong in our country, it will have a ripple effect across West Africa and beyond.
“As it is said, when Nigeria sneezes, the rest of the African continent catches cold. This implies that all stakeholders must ensure that these elections are free and fair so that no room is created for people to agitate unnecessarily or for violence to erupt,” it said.
