Why 2019 Elections Many Not Be Free, Fair, Credible ― Clark

Elder statesman, Senator Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, Wednesday, expressed fears that the 2019 general elections, commencing Saturday, February 23, may not come off free, fair and credible.

The octogenarian hinged his fears on the public confession of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu that a senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State, Alhaji Muhammed Sani, was and has been involved in the production and supply of some sensitive electoral materials.

Addressing journalists at Kiagbodo, his country home in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, the prominent Ijaw leader averred that it was curious that having admitted that Alhaji Sani, a card-carrying member of the ruling APC, is an INEC contractor, the INEC boss seemed unperturbed about the moral burden and political correctness of such action.

Clark said he was not satisfied with the ‘scanty’ answers the INEC boss gave to the impressive questions and observations raised by the APC chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and PDP’s Osita Chidoka during the stakeholders meeting held in Abuja sequel to the botched February 16 election.

According to him, Prof Mahmood’s response that Alhaji Sani’s company, Act Technology Ltd, now Activate Technology Ltd, has been ‘satisfactorily’ working for INEC since 2011 as the reason for engaging an APC member to supply sensitive electoral materials for INEC, leaves much to be desired.

“You said the company has been working satisfactorily with INEC since 2011 and you saw nothing wrong in it, and that the political parties could take up matters with the person involved.

“Yet we agreed with you when you went further to emphasise that the credibility of the election does not start with the conduct of elections at the various polling booths, but it is a process which begins during the preparations and after voting.

“How do you reconcile the credibility of the election with the involvement of an APC candidate in the very election in producing sensitive materials for your commission?

“Is it morally and politically justified and you did not believe that his incompetence and inexperience in producing these materials have not, at any time, affected the credibility and the postponement of these elections?” the former Minister of Information queried.

Perturbed Clark, in the press briefing titled: “Who is fooling who? Senatorial Candidate is your contractor supplying sensitive materials?” backed up his claims with the reproduction of excerpts from a petition by the Concerned Nigerian Professionals dated March 24, 2015, to the Inspector General of Police copies of which were channelled to NSA! DG DSS! DIG FCIID! DG NIA, Chairman, INEC, among others, detailing the extent of the involvement of Alhaji Sani and his company in the presidential and National Assembly elections in 2011 and 2015.

Clark further recollected that during the 2011 presidential and National Assembly elections, Alhaji Sani’s company was earlier blacklisted by INEC for failure to produce the sensitive materials for the election that was botched midway after which he was arrested and later released.

According to Clark, on March 26, 2015, after the petition by Concerned Nigerian Professionals, the same Alhaji Sani and his partners were invited by the security forces and in their custody until the end of the presidential and National Assembly polls.

He wondered how the INEC boss, Prof Mahmood could tell Nigerians that the commission had been working “satisfactorily” with Alhaji Sani’s company since 2011!

“I could forgive him (Prof Mahmood) for the benefit of the doubt that he was not in INEC in 2011 and 2015. But there are senior electoral commissioners who should, if thy at honest, brief the chairman of this fact,” he noted.

Clark asked Prof Mahmood to, therefore, tell Nigerians categorically “whether the engagement of an interested party as a contractor for the production of sensitive materials is morally and politically justifiable” and if elections conducted in such a situation “will be free, fair and credible.”

He added that peradventure Nigerians are unable to return to where they registered to cast their votes due to the midnight cancellation and rescheduling of the February 16 election to February 23, such voting exercise could not be said to be free, fair and credible.

While commending Prof Mahmood for his courage and wisdom to halt and postpone the February 16 poll, the elder statesman, however, enthused that the excuses of Prof Mahmood bordering on unfavourable weather, which was debunked by the Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, showed that the INEC boss was being economical with the truth.

Clark, who said his briefing the press was based on his undying love and patriotism towards the country, observed that it was unfathomable for Prof Mahmood to state that he did not take an order from the leadership of the country before halting the botched February 16 poll barely six hours to commencement.

He appealed to Nigerians to get over the inconveniences and come out massively to cast their votes come Saturday, February 23.