His first posting after being appointed as resident electoral commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was to Cross River State. After a few months, he was moved to Edo State, where he superintended over the governorship election that was adjudged very free and fair.
And then just recently, he was brought back to Cross River State. But before his return to the state, Dr Johnson Alalibo has had the privilege of being part of other elections in Anambra, Osun and even some bye elections in the same Cross River.
In this interview with OFONIME UMANAH, Alalibo spoke of his determination to conduct a transparent election in 2023, even as he warned politicians in the state not to make any attempt to corrupt his staff before and during next year’s election, as that would attract very severe consequences.
Excerpts:
What did you see in Calabar on your second coming to Cross River?
Well, it’s a good thing. It’s a routine of the commission that from time to time, they deploy their officials to areas they feel they can be more competent to handle. So, it’s a normal thing.
Between when you left and when you came back, what changes did you meet on ground?
You know, my first engagement was Calabar, and it was quite nice. But I can say I have never had the kind of experiences I have now. I have participated in about six elections; three governorships and three by-elections and court ordered elections in Nigeria. So, I have more experience now, in terms of officers that I have worked with, there have been some remarkable changes. Some of the electoral officers have been transferred to some other states, some have retired and I’m now working with some set of, kind of new people, the management staff, even in the office. but others are still intact.
So, how ready are you as REC in Cross River State for the 2023 elections?
We are ready to deliver on our mandate, to conduct free, fair and credible elections, inclusive elections. As you rightly know, I have participated in six elections since I came into the commission, and let’s say the new INEC starts from where I superintendent, which is INEC Edo. We conducted that governorship election in 2020 and it was adjudged both internationally and locally as one of the best elections that we have ever conducted in Nigeria. So, from then we moved to Ondo, similar thing, we later moved to Anambra for governorship, we moved to Ekiti, we moved to Osun, and several other by-elections and court ordered rerun elections that we have conducted. So, we don’t have fears. Preparation for 2023 general election is in top gear by the commission and almost every week, the headquarters is engaging the stakeholders on how best we are going to handle the elections. So, we are coming up with far reaching decisions and templates on how to get a hitch-free elections for Nigerians.
Let’s go back to the Edo election adjudged to be one of the freest and fairest elections to be conducted by INEC. What unique things happened there, what happened that did not happen before?
One, the commission was not compromised. Two, there was no directive from anywhere that go and deliver this specific political party. The process was free, open, transparent. So, once the process ab initio is free, transparent, we are sure to have free and fair election and of course, the other stakeholders that support INEC to deliver on its mandate also did very wonderfully well- the security agencies, the NYSC partners, the observers, the other development partners that support INEC. So, we had it well. There was no instruction anywhere; go and deliver this party. No. Go and do the work the way it’s supposed to be in the books, the extant laws of Nigeria governing electoral process, follow it judiciously, you are going to get the result, and once elections are adjudged to be free and fair, you have less litigations. The litigation that you saw in Edo governorship election was not on the process, it was in terms of pre-electoral matter that bothers on qualification. So, the process was adjudged to be free and fair because the structures, all the enablers were there to give it that name, that accolade that the election was free and fair. The police did their work, the Army did their work, the Airforce, the Navy, the NYSC, the National Orientation Agencies, INEC was on top of it, to ensure that we deliver free and fair elections. So, we made it and from then till today, and of course the technology that has been deployed, new inventions that we now have in electoral process, have also helped to a greater extent.
Talking about 2023 elections, politicians will always want to be politicians, they will always want to cut corners to win. How prepared is INEC to face politicians with dubious intentions to win?
Yeah! You could see, the other day, our chairman was also in a programme organized by Yaga Africa, and he still reiterated the issue on how INEC is prepared to block all the antics of the politicians to rig the electoral processes for this general election coming 2023. So, we are working hard. The advice I will give is that politicians should go and campaign to their people to vote for them. INEC cannot award victories to any candidate, INEC is an umpire that we are going to ensure that every bit of the rule as enshrined by Nigeria constitution and the Electoral Act 2022, as amended, that we are implementing for this general election, every bit of it shall be implemented.
We will not rest on our oars to ensure that election will be peaceful, first, we will not rest on our oars, to ensure that election will be transparent, we will not rest on our oars to ensure that that the election will be free, credible and fair to all Nigerians and also it will be inclusive.
A Few days ago, we were working, we just adopted the reports, the draft reports of amendment of the IDP voting in Nigeria and INEC is prepared to make the electoral process more inclusive for people to come in and vote their choices. So, their choices, the people’s choices will be what will prevail, will be what will be declared. It will not be as usual, as INEC of the old, that people can go and write results or people will munch results and come and submit. You know, we are gradually going total digital but for now, part of the accreditation will be manual, part will be electronics.
The manual aspect of it is that, as we finish the election at the polling units, results will be collated, it will be sorted out, the ballot papers will be sorted out, then, it will be counted, whoever that wins, the candidate, the political party that wins, it will be recorded in the form PC8A and that will be snapped by the BVAS, which will be sent, transmitted to the INEC portal, where me and you can log in and watch as it is happening. So, that alone is one of the magic that has been helping INEC to forestall electoral maleficence.
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Look at what happened, all the elections that I mentioned prior to this time, you could see the outcome, not too much gaps that one party has humongous figures, one party has very little. No. The parties that are strong or whatever, you see them neck to neck to each other, those are some of the indicators.
Let’s look at the issue of collection of PVCs, what’s the situation in Cross River?
You know I am yet to fully settle down. I have not really known the position, I have not been briefed by the individual HODs. I am yet to hold meetings with all the HODs to brief me in their respective departments how far they have gone in all the issues; electoral processes and preparations. So, I cannot give you a definite answer right now as to the level of collection but I know that the PVCs that we have in where I was coming from, we still have 2019 PVCs in thousands, the current one, the collection rate is fair. The current one that we just finished, we have released first quarter, second quarter; we are expecting all the quarters from September to October ending. We should be expecting all the PVCs. I know that collection drive, INEC is working on how to do a good voter publicity, voter education to ensure that people are aware of the need to come and collect their PVCs, and PVCs collection as at the time, it was when we were doing the registration, it was done at the RA levels, we are moving, moving round and distributing the PVCs and at the LGAs. So we are also waiting for when more of the ones that we did this year, we just concluded will come. But currently, they are working on cleaning the register up so that those double registrants will be weeded out and those genuine ones will be produced and sent to the states for distribution.
If you were to be face to face with Cross Riverians right now, as far as this issue is concerned, what will you be telling them?
On?
On the issue of collection of PVCs.
There are persons that have their PVCs but they felt that they still went and re-registered and the thing showed that they are doing double registration, you understand? So, they should come, they should go to where they registered, the local government they registered and ask, because some of the states, my children just picked theirs and I asked they said it was sorted RA by RA and community by community or unit by unit. So, it was easy for them to pick their own. If it’s the same template that is used in Cross River, it means that once you go to where you registered, your PVC will be there. You just go, give your name, they will check, it’s as easy as A,B,C, you get your PVC. But for those who did double registration and ab initio their name is already existing in the old register, it means they will not give them a new one but the one that they have before is still valid.
Let’s look at politicians in Cross River State. What would you say shocks you about politicians?
I have never known the political behaviour of Cross Riverians for me to make an informed opinion.
Generally.
No, I cannot, I cannot, I can’t have an informed opinion about them.
Okay, about political parties.
Well, every political party want to win elections; so sometimes they don’t want to follow the rules, so we tell them you must follow the rules.
What’s the most shocking thing you have observed in political parties, since you got into INEC?
I think the most shocking thing is internal crisis of political parties, lack of internal democracy, that is the most shocking thing, lack of internal democracy within the parties, they don’t want to follow the rules, and it’s very problematic, the law says go and do this and you are doing a different thing, even now it’s better compared to before, these electoral acts we have now strengthens most of those things, and thank God we have very firm commission headed by Professor Mahmud, who is always very firm on issues relating to party conforming with the rules; electoral rules.
So is it to say that there will be bad business for political thugs?
(Cuts in) No, no, no, it will be zero votes, they will give you zero vote, you will get zero votes.
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Explain that.
It’s there in the Electoral Act, once as a result of violence in election, in a place, in a unit, it will be zero vote, no party will have a result.
Okay?
It’s zero vote.
Talk to the people of Cross River, talk to politicians, to the political parties…
Yes, my advice is that as we are warming up to the general election in 2023, the people, the politicians and the voters alike should behave in accordance with the rules of the game, the rules of the game. We are guided by the constitution, we are also guided by the Electoral Act, and also the party guidelines and of course, INEC election guidelines. So, once we are conversant with the rules and regulations imbedded in these four documents that I am mentioning, then it will be easier for the election to come and pass peacefully.
I will advise them to eschew violence especially now that campaigns will start for presidential and other positions. They should be able to conform with the rules, not to use foul language, not to use languages that will offend the other parties, there is one thing they call in media, is it fake news? Fake news and tarnishing of image of your opponents, unfounded allegations, blackmails and all that, derogatory languages, the commission will frown at it and we will invoke the laws because we are also empowered to monitor the campaigns of political parties.
It may be difficult for politicians to have access to you, to manipulate you, but the staff…
(Cuts in) it’s similar thing. We will be meeting with them shortly from now, we will be meeting regularly too and telling them why they should stay away from these politicians, they have to be very careful, the system is almost fraud proof, it is difficult to have these electoral maleficence in this new Electoral Act. So, people should be careful and everybody is watching everybody. I will advise my staff, I have about 300 and something staff, I am yet to see the nominal roll to see the total number, but I know they are more than 300 or 330 something, because transfers are still going on, so I cannot give you the definite number but I will be meeting with them regularly to emphasise the need for them to be neutral, completely neutral, completely neutral.
How decisive can you be?
Ah! It’s to invoke the rules. We have our internal mechanism in terms of glaring infraction on the rules of the Electoral Act, we can invoke it, but there are other administrative procedures that can be used in removing somebody who is found in that manner; trying to compromise the process. But it’s almost difficult now; I still maintain that it’s difficult.
