Security, vital tool for free, fair election – Don
To achieve fair, hitch-free and credible elections in Nigeria, there is a need for the Electoral Management Body, EMB, to put in place a solid arrangement that will guarantee the security of electoral officials and materials.
This was the submission of a Professor of Political Science in University of Lagos, Tunde Babawale during a three-day induction course organised by Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission, ODIEC for electoral officers in the state.
Speaking on “Security Awareness and Liasing with Security Operatives for Hitch free Elections”, Professor Babawale said election security covers issues like physical security of election officials, protection of election materials, ensuring order at polling and collation centres and controlling violence among political interests.
Babawale, who doubles as the Electoral Commissioner, Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, described election as a collective task and stressed the need for the EMB to explain its security policies and programmes to all stakeholders in order to achieve hitch free elections.
According to him, corruption, ideological conflict, the lust for wealth, inordinate pursuit of power, poverty and unemployment, God-fatherism, weak electoral laws, poor political education/culture, ethno-religious influence are major causes of electoral violence.
Others are arms proliferation, media manipulations, ill-equipped Police, operational failure and non-prosecution of electoral offenders.
The guest speaker noted that electoral malpractices is one of the rampant vices bedeviling the electoral process in Nigeria.
He listed the rigging of party primaries, imposition of candidates, stuffing of ballot boxes, deliberate denial of electoral materials to certain areas, registration fraud, bribery of voters as some of the electoral malpractices witnessed in Nigeria.
The LASIEC boss stressed the need for security stakeholders to ensure safety and orderliness during the local government elections being grassroots focused.
He highlighted the critical activities that require special security attention to include, party primaries/conventions, stakeholders’ fora, screening and validation of candidates, collection and distribution of electoral materials, voting and counting at the polling units, counting and collation of results, among others.
Babawale thereby recommended political education, integrated voter and civic education, continuous interaction with stakeholders, transparency and integrity of the process by the EMB, training and re-training of election officials and effective collaboration with security agents as factors for achieving credible elections.
