By Mike Igini
In life, anything that has a beginning has an end, no one stays at a job forever, we are all passing through a phase in the life of our institutions and nation, our journey will come to an end one day but the journey of Akwa lbom is forever. So, there comes a time when it is over and bid goodbye to all who have made a challenging job an illuminating experience.
Truly, It is a great good fortune, that time, chance and the providence of God made it possible for me to spend the last five years as the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the service of the fatherland. I have had the rare privilege of appointment by two Presidents of different political parties. I want to sincerely thank Mr. President, Mohammadu Buhari (GCFR) for the opportunity to serve and for being part of the collective efforts to give meaning and purpose to the ballot as the best means of the expression of the will of the people in a democracy.
My immeasurable thanks goes to the Chairman of the Commission, Professor Mahmood Yabuku, a scholar of remarkable intellectual prowess, for his leadership and protection at my greatest moment of danger and vulnerability for standing tall in defense of democracy and the rule of law before the 2019 general elections and up till this moment. To all staff of INEC in Akwa lbom State, Administrative Secretary, Heads of Departments, Electoral Officers, Assistant Electoral Officers, Drivers, Security and Cleaners, some of whom have retired, l would have said from the bottom of my heart
l thank you but with you all, my heart has no bottom, the gratitude from my heart is immeasurable. As custodians and implementers of the vision and mission of the Commission, l provided leadership but it is you people that delivered the electoral outcome of 2019 general elections that was of a remarkable departure and difference from previous elections in this State. Thank you all for keeping to the core values of integrity and upholding the highest principles of ethical standards that changed the narrative of elections in Akwa lbom State in 2019.
How time flies and what an incredible journey, looking back at our stewardship in the past five years in terms of the challenges we overcame, lessons learnt and the opportunities they present for the 2023 elections and future Elections in this State, one has every reason to thank The Almighty.
On my arrival on the 5th of September 2017 one of my earliest tasks after the usual briefings with staff of the Commission in the State, was a meeting of all Chairmen and Secretaries of political parties, met with traditional rulers, faith based organizations and shared the vision and mission statement of the Commission. We made a firm commitment to all that the lndependent National Electoral Commission under my watch will not be a tool for the manipulation of electoral victory, but an election management body committed to the conduct credible election by enforcing the provisions of the Constitution, the Electoral Act, Regulations and Guidelines of INEC fully, fairly and impartially in Akwa lbom State. We made a firm promise that ballot papers and result sheets shall be delivered in all the 2,980 polling units (now 4,354) of the thirty (31) LGAs of Akwa lbom State.
All the stakeholders narrated their bitter experiences and provided useful and actionable information about how ballot papers and result sheets were never delivered to polling units in the past but private homes of a few influential politicians , where they are thumbprinted and election results written and individuals declared winners. Based on these background brief, we immediately set out for the preparation of the State for the 2019 election by taking the following bold actions with key accomplishments:
Firstly, we set up a Committee for the identification of the location/relocation of all polling units in private homes. In all, a total of 23 such Polling Units were discovered and relocated from the homes of associates of some influential politicians after a stakeholders meeting that was held in this lbom Hall on the 6th of August 2018 before the 2019 elections.
Secondly, during my tour of the LGAs to assess the state of the offices, and take stock of materials, we found that of all the 31 LGAs, only in Essien Udim and Obot Akara, that all PVCs of the two LGAs were collected 100% without credible records of those who collected them. That raised a red flag about these two LGAs that turned out to be the most difficult LGAs during the 2019 election where terrible things occurred.
We alerted security authorities and two weeks later we got pictures of INEC Card Readers and thousands of PVCs stacked in the home of an influential and untouchable politician.
Thirdly, during the recruitment of election ad hoc staff process, that was in the past taken over by influential politicians with connivance of staff, an act that we ensured became an anathema; there was massive resistance by previous beneficiaries to sabotage the entire electoral process because they could not longer infiltrate or take control of the process. As part of their resistance, natives were instigated to reject corp members from carrying out electoral duties in their communities.
At Obot Akara, one of the finest and brilliant Electoral Officers who refused to accept the list of ad hoc staff from a politician was beaten up and almost killed. The matter was reported to security authorities and till date nothing has been done, if he had been killed he would have died in vain. Painfully, he has resigned and left the service of the Commission.
Also at Obot Akara, on the eve of the presidential and National Assembly elections, all the buses hired (13) by the Commission that were parked at the LGA office to convey election personnel and materials were all set ablaze by the agents of an influential politician so that election will not be conducted.
Similarly, at the lbesukpo Asutan (LGA) office of the Commission, 42 brand new Generating sets and over three hundred (300) Card Readers were set on fire to prevent election from holding, Mkpat Enin and Eastern Obolo offices were also touched.
The distraction was massive and total with calls for my redeployment from the State to pave way for a return to the old ways of arbitrary writing of election results.
These influential politician(s) have caused to be redeployed from this State over seven Commissioners of Police and Heads of other security agencies that were unwilling to be part of the process of subverting the 2019 elections. This practice should not be allowed to happen as we approach the 2023 elections. Commissioners of Police and other heads of security agencies should not be posted out of States six months to the conduct of general election so that they can know the personnel in their command and have sufficient knowledge and understanding of their various Commands.
Igini, a lawyer, is the outgoing Resident Electoral Commissioner of Akwa Ibom State.
