In the countdown to the February 2015 general election, the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has been observing the electoral process and receiving reports from across the country and would like to highlight the following concerns:
INEC:
Situation Room is worried about the challenges of production and distribution of permanent voters cards (PVC) by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and is concerned that INEC has allowed logistical problems to persist and becloud its preparations for the elections.
Situation Room calls on INEC to immediately take steps to address several logistical and other concerns about the elections, including ensuring that the delay in the distribution of the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) is resolved urgently by operating longer hours.
In addition, Situation Room calls on INEC to more effectively communicate and update Nigerians on a daily and regular basis, its preparations and plans for the elections, including the extent of progress on training and deployment of permanent and ad hoc staff for election duty and other logistics arrangements. Situation Room calls on the Federal and State governments to declare at least one work-free day towards the end of a week to enable Nigerians concentrate on collecting their PVCs.
Security:
Situation Room is also concerned that with just about two weeks to the February elections, the Security Services, particularly the Nigeria Police, have been unable to publicly state and disclose its election plans and preparations to the public, including what plans it has put in place to professionally and in compliance with human rights standards, manage crowds and possible disturbances associated with elections. Situation Room calls on the Police authority to publicly state its election plans and make a commitment to professionalism and non-partisanship during the elections, including how it intends to cater for the welfare of its personnel being deployed for the elections.
Political Parties:
Situation Room is concerned that political parties and their candidates are failing in their responsibility of enlightening voters on issues and are rather focused on personality attacks, mudslinging, scare-mongering and hate campaigns. Parties and their candidates should respond to citizens’ demands for issue-based campaign and outline what strategies they intend to adopt to address national development issues.
Situation Room also calls on candidates to take responsibility for the actions and excesses of their agents and supporters who breach electoral guidelines and code of conduct, including agents and supporters who engage in violence.
Citizens:
Situation Room calls on Nigerian voters to discountenance campaigns by political parties and candidates that tend to emphasize religious, regional and ethnic divisions. In addition, Situation Room calls on citizens to prepare to cast their votes in the general elections and ensure that they go to centres designated by INEC to collect their PVCs preparatory to voting in next month’s polls for candidates of their choice.
Civil Society:
Situation Room will deploy and receive reports from observers across the 36 States of the country and the FCT. This deployment also covers the North East of the country. Observers are being trained to impartially observe the elections from the point of distribution of materials to voting, collation of results and announcements.
Situation Room intends to pursue a fair, objective and non-partisan strategy for observing the elections.
Conclusion:
Situation Room believes INEC should be encouraged to make adequate preparations to enable it deliver on its promises to hold credible elections on its announced dates of February 14 and 28. In addition, Situation Room insists that only PVC and card reader machines should be used for elections. The suggestions that Temporary Voters Cards (TVCs) be used will send a wrong signal and nullify all of the efforts put in place by INEC to achieve a fraud-free election.
The Situation Room, made up of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working in support of credible and transparent elections in Nigeria, includes such groups as Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), CLEEN Foundation, Action Aid Nigeria, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Enough is Enough Nigeria and Wangonet. Others are Partners for Electoral Reform (PER) and Youth Initiative for Advocacy Growth & Advancement (YIAGA), Development Dynamics, Human Rights Monitor, Election Monitor, Reclaim Naija, Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, CITAD, CISLAC and several other CSOs numbering more than 60.