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INEC Preparedness, Challenges and Public Expectations for a Peaceful 2015 Elections in Nigeria. Abubakar Momoh Director-General The Electoral Institute, Abuja amomoh2002@yahoo.com Presented at WANEP Staeholders Consultative Meeting on Peaceful Elections in Nigeria, March 12-13, 2014.
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INEC Preparedness, Challenges and Public Expectations for a Peaceful 2015 Elections in Nigeria Abubakar Momoh Director-General The Electoral Institute, Abuja amomoh2002@yahoo.com Presented at WANEP Staeholders Consultative Meeting on Peaceful Elections in Nigeria, March 12-13, 2014
Lessons Learnt from 2011 General Elections • Retreats on Lessons learnt • Post Election Audit • Registration and Election Review Committee (RERC) • Staff Audit by PriceWaterHouse • Restructuring of TEI • Directorates and Departments reorganised and made more effective • Values and Electoral integrity • Result-based Civic and voter Education • Impact evaluation • Electoral integrity. Collective ownership, civic duty
INEC’s Preparedness • New focus: policy, plan and restructuring • Long term planning : Strategic plan and work plan (2012-2016) • Connecting implementation strategy to relevant Departments and units • Policy: Elections Management System (EMS) • Plan: Elections Project Plan (EPP) • Restructuring of TEI • Introduction of AFIS • Automated CVR and PVC • Introduction of Card Readers for PVC • Discarding the Use of Addendum Register • Customising results sheets to PUs • Overhauling training methodology • Delimitation of constituencies • Improving on logistics and security • Updating and warehousing databank of ad-hoc staff • High Premium Insurance for both permanent and Ad-hoc staff • Election Time-Table out well on time, unlike in the past
7 Principal Business Areas (PBAs) • Election Day Logistics (EDL) • Election Day Training (EDT) • Election Staff Management (ESM) • Election Day Support (EDS) • Political Party & Candidate Management (PPM) • Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) • Election Day Procurement (EDP)
Public Expectations • Building Political Trust • Transition from Political Elite to Political Class • Issue-based campaigns • Free, fair and credible Elections • Delivery and distribution of sensitive materials on time • Adequate security at Polling Units • Payment of allowances and entitlements of ad-hoc staff • Non-partisanship of security personnel and civil conduct • Zero tolerance for violence • Internal party democracy
Challenges • Key challenge: (i) funding (ii) rhetorics of politicians overheat the polity(iii) Election Day logistical challenges (iv) Security for PUs (v) topography-creeks and inaccessible areas • Logistics and Deployment of personnel on election Day • 750,000 Ad-hoc staff to be trained, certified online and used in 2015 Elections • Investigative and prosecutory role of the Police • AFIS caught 93,000 fake voters in Anambra Gubernatorial elections • Over 800,000 citizens caught in multiple registration, NEC has no funds and capacity to prosecute • Rhetorics of politicians overheat the polity • Logistical challenge on Election day • Security in Electoral process, campaign rallies and on Election Day
The Security Challenge • Post-Election Violence often worse • Youth violence and thuggery-Sara suka (Bauchi); Yan daba(Kano) Boko Haram (NE), ECOWAS Boys (Ogun) Area Boys (Lagos), Dei Well & Dei Gbam (Rivers and Bayelsa), Agboole Boys (Ondo) • Infrastructure of violence-light weapons, economic hardship • Inter Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), coordination and cooperation-bottom up in defining agenda • Early warning signs-need to monitor and identify conflict triggers and conflict indicators-early warning management • Electoral Risk Management (ERM) and Mapping of Electoral Risks-designing an effective tool-AU/I-IDEA • Electoral Alternative Dispute Resolution (EADR)-for mediating & resolving electoral complaints and disputes especially within political parties • Politics as warfare
Stakeholders Meetings and Sensitisation • IPAC and INEC quarterly meetings and interaction • Policy validation meetings with CSOs and relevant stakeholders • Issue-focused debriefing and interaction with media • Media sensitisation on key issues relating to elections • INEC hour onAIT every Thursday
Peace Education and sundry issues • Peace Education as a new paradigm: The peace education is founded on the principle that people and problems should be approached positively and not negatively • Civic education, Voter information, and voter education • New methodology for voter education:by TEI • Result-based Voter Education by TEI and VEP Dept • INEC Communication Policy: information management and make or mar an election e.g. Anambra Gubernatorial Election • Vote to score, Voters Club • Alternative means of reaching ruralites and urban youth-popular culture • Recruitment and Training for the right calibre of citizens for elections • Training for CSOs and Media • Training for political parties/candidates • INEC’s role is technical and NOT political-hence peace elections is the mandate of ALL stakeholders • Need for collective ownership of the Electoral project