Fears for national vote after local election chaos
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The 2015 presidential elections could descend into chaos if alleged irregularities and bungling in a key local vote are repeated nationally, politicians and activists are warning.
Nearly two weeks after voters went to the polls to elect a new governor in southeastern
Anambra state, there is still no result and the electoral watchdog has ordered a re-run in some constituencies this weekend.
The November 16 election in the mineral-rich state was seen as an early indication of support for President Goodluck Jonathan before his expected run for re-election in about 18 months. Jonathan's ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been split by his election ambitions and on Tuesday a splinter group of prominent politicians and powerful governors defected to the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
Provisional results in Anambra gave victory to the All Progressives Grand Alliance party of incumbent governor Peter Obi, a Jonathan ally. But the PDP, APC and Labour Party all called for a complete re-run, with one senior figure calling it a "parody of an election" after some people were denied the chance to vote, despite being on the electoral roll.
Ballot boxes, papers and other election material went missing, while police also imposed tough restrictions on movement into and out of the state, which was viewed in some circles as harassment and intimidation.
Lawyer and activist Festus Keyamo told AFP only 451,826 people voted, well under half of the 1.8 million voters eligible for the exercise, dismissing the exercise as a "sham" and a danger for the whole country.
"There was a wicked and unholy alliance between INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) and the PDP to subvert the democratic process in Nigeria," he claimed.
"If (chairman Attahiru) Jega's INEC cannot conduct a free and fair election in 21 local
governments in Anambra, should he be trusted to conduct a general election that would produce the nation's president in the 774 local governments of the federation?
"We should not expect any miracle in 2015. Nigerians should prepare for the worst. The masses and civil society groups should defend their votes. We have to take our destiny in our hands."
Nigeria's former oil minister Tam David-West meanwhile called for Jega, who was appointed by the president and whose organisation depends on presidency funding, to be sacked to ensure free and fair elections in 2015.
"By the Anambra election, Jega and his subordinates have put the 2015 election in jeopardy," he said. "With the way we are going, there may be a problem in 2015 if action is not taken.
"There may be cataclysm in 2015 if Jega is not changed. He can throw the country into chaos."
Copyright AFP
All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without prior permission in writing from AFP.
Anambra state, there is still no result and the electoral watchdog has ordered a re-run in some constituencies this weekend.
The November 16 election in the mineral-rich state was seen as an early indication of support for President Goodluck Jonathan before his expected run for re-election in about 18 months. Jonathan's ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been split by his election ambitions and on Tuesday a splinter group of prominent politicians and powerful governors defected to the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
Provisional results in Anambra gave victory to the All Progressives Grand Alliance party of incumbent governor Peter Obi, a Jonathan ally. But the PDP, APC and Labour Party all called for a complete re-run, with one senior figure calling it a "parody of an election" after some people were denied the chance to vote, despite being on the electoral roll.
Ballot boxes, papers and other election material went missing, while police also imposed tough restrictions on movement into and out of the state, which was viewed in some circles as harassment and intimidation.
Lawyer and activist Festus Keyamo told AFP only 451,826 people voted, well under half of the 1.8 million voters eligible for the exercise, dismissing the exercise as a "sham" and a danger for the whole country.
"There was a wicked and unholy alliance between INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) and the PDP to subvert the democratic process in Nigeria," he claimed.
"If (chairman Attahiru) Jega's INEC cannot conduct a free and fair election in 21 local
governments in Anambra, should he be trusted to conduct a general election that would produce the nation's president in the 774 local governments of the federation?
"We should not expect any miracle in 2015. Nigerians should prepare for the worst. The masses and civil society groups should defend their votes. We have to take our destiny in our hands."
Nigeria's former oil minister Tam David-West meanwhile called for Jega, who was appointed by the president and whose organisation depends on presidency funding, to be sacked to ensure free and fair elections in 2015.
"By the Anambra election, Jega and his subordinates have put the 2015 election in jeopardy," he said. "With the way we are going, there may be a problem in 2015 if action is not taken.
"There may be cataclysm in 2015 if Jega is not changed. He can throw the country into chaos."
Copyright AFP
All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without prior permission in writing from AFP.
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