Following the supplementary elections conducted in several states, which were marred by controversies, political stakeholders across the country have begun to exonerate the electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission.
Some political analysts and commentators who spoke to The Point Newspaper against the backdrop of the supplementary elections, described the exercise as a sham, while others commended the electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission, for its effort.
“The supplementary election is far from a true reflection of democracy,” Chief Ebenezer Babatope told The Point in an interview.
Though Babatope said INEC should be applauded for its efforts in the conduct of the elections, he lamented the state of democracy in the country.
He particularly berated the Kano state supplementary poll, describing it as an eyesore which must be condemned in all quarters.
“INEC tried its best but when you look at some of the states where the elections were held, especially Kano, you will feel sorry for our democracy. What happened in Kano was not an election but something else. It was an eyesore to the people and whoever that loves democracy.
“On the other hand, Sokoto was another state. The election in Sokoto was nothing to write home about. Like I said earlier, INEC did its best but it was not good enough for a country like Nigeria. The election was something else.”
Agreeing with Babatope, the National Chairman of United Peoples Party, Chief Chekwas Okorie, said INEC should be commended for successful delivering the exercise, adding that the irregularities and other criminal activities recorded during polls should be blamed on politicians.
“INEC delivered their national assignment well. We can’t blame them for the irresponsibility of the politicians. The politicians showed themselves as desperate people who are far from having the interest of the masses at heart.
“The shameful exercise was an indication that our politicians are shameless, irrespective of their parties. Imagine the rate at which hoodlums were recruited to perpetrate their intended evils, imagine the number of people that were injured and worse.
“In addition, the security agents did not also help matters in the election. Their contributions aggravated the whole thing. I don’t think they were there in the interest of the nation, but to accomplish the interest of whoever they supported.
“We need to wake up as a nation if we want to move forward. The supplementary was not an election but war in some states. But, for INEC, they did well,” he
stressed.
In his submission, the National President of Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, Alhaji Shettima Yerima, condemned the supplementary polls, saying, “Before you talk of the supplementary election, did we have real elections? Nigeria is no more a country, looking at what APC government is doing. They have succeeded in castrating democracy that our heroes worked for. Look at the election that was not far from daylight robbery. People were disenfranchised; the result was already perfected before Election Day. Different types of rigging took place, several people lost their lives. Is that what election was supposed to look like? The supplementary was nothing but war in which people were killed like chicken. We saw various reports and we all knew that Nigeria didn’t hold any election but APC perpetrated evils.
