Gubernatorial elections in Kogi and Bayelsa, as well as a senatorial election in the Kogi West district, Nigeria, held on the 16th of November were important in the study of Nigeria’s democracy.
Unfortunately, the election was marred by several unruly incidents which left many disappointed and uninspired with the country’s current electoral trends. Here are a few significant takeaways from the just concluded out-of-cycle elections in the two states:
Vote-Buying Syndrome
Vote-buying is a worrying trend in electoral processes in Nigeria. Reports of this electoral offence were rampant during the general elections held earlier in the year and during other out-of-cycle elections held in the past year, most recently in Ekiti and Osun states. Similar stories were reported in Kogi and Bayelsa during the election.
Despite the illegality of vote-buying which carries a fine of up to ₦500,000 or 12 months imprisonment (Section 124 of Nigeria’s Electoral Act), no arrests have been made with regards to this offence. An electoral official in Kogi state reported that he had been given a ₦50,000 bribe to manipulate election results, details of who offered the bribe and the proposed manipulation were not released to the public.
Several other reports from both Kogi and Bayelsa show that vote-buying was prominent in these elections. The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) reported that voters received as low as ₦500 in Kogi state.
Gunpoint Democracy
Violence has become a prominent feature of elections in Nigeria. The country has steadily recorded deaths during elections in the past five general elections. This precedence of violence escalated tensions as the elections drew closer.
In Kogi, the pre-election violence presumably started with the alleged assault of the only female governorship aspirant Natasha Akpoti and the burning down of her party secretariat, an actshe holds the incumbent governor responsible for.
A few days to the election, two policemen were shot dead in Bayelsa and a radio worker was gunned down at a political rally by thugs alleged to be loyal to the opposition party.
The conduct of the election in both states was marked by incidents of vote-rigging, voter intimidation and violent attacks on voters, election officials and observers. The CDD put the death toll in Kogi at 10 and called for the annulment of the poll.
More worrisome is the alleged role security agents played during the election. Security agents reportedly aided in the disruption of polls and were involved in the hijacking of election materials. The Inspector-General of Police refuted this, stating that they were impersonators. Nonetheless, it remains suspicious how the over 60,000 policemen deployed to both states proved ineffective in curbing electoral violence.
More Tribunal Business
Due to cancellation of elections in some parts of the district, the Kogi West senatorial re-run election was declared inconclusive, mandating a supplementary election in the affected areas. One of the candidates in the race, former Senator Dino Melaye who was the seat-holder before his election was nullified by a tribunal, has filed petitions against the supplementary election which is slated for November 30th. Melaye asked that the first poll be scrapped due to reported malfeasance.
As for the gubernatorial races, candidates of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), David Lyon (Bayelsa) and Yahaya Bello (Kogi), were declared victorious, leading to uproar from opposition parties. The candidates of the major opposition party, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in both states rejected the results, opening up the possibility of more petitions to be filed.
Conclusion of elections in Nigeria through the judiciary has become a norm. According to a report on the role of Nigeria’s judiciary in the electoral process, about 50 per cent of the contested positions in the February 2019 general elections resulted in petitions.
There are several conclusions to draw from these elections, most of which confirm the gloomy state of a key democratic process in the country. As expected, many Nigerians are disappointed with the conduct of these polls, which is likely to sway voter apathy in future elections. Nonetheless, many hope that the lessons learned from these elections will be valuable in reforming the electoral process and in strengthening the country’s democracy.
