By Jude Opara, Abuja

As activities leading to the conduct of the 2023 general elections draw nearer, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reiterated its resolve not to favour any particular political party or candidate over others.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said this on Wednesday while declaring open the 4th Abubakar Momoh Memorial Lecture with the theme; “Electoral Act 2022: Imperatives for Political Parties and the 2023 General Elections” which he at the Electoral Institute (TEI), Abuja.

Yakubu who was represented by the Chairman of the Board of TEI, Abubakar Zuru said the lecture was organized to sensitize political parties on the provisions of the new Electoral Act.

“Once again, I wish to assure you that INEC has no preferred party or candidate. We shall only ensure that all valid votes count and the winners are decided solely by the voters. 

“The Memorial Lecture is focused to enlighten and sensitize political parties on the new provisions in the Act and the derivative subsidiary laws of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). 

“The Prof. Abubakar Momoh memorial lecture is a platform established by the Commission to project the ideals of a social activist and an advocate of citizens involvement in Elections and nation building. It is therefore befitting to ride on this platform for advocacy on the electoral legal framework that will drive the 2023 General Election.”

You may recall that in February, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the 2022 Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law. Therefore, the 2022 Electoral Act replaces the Electoral Act 2010 in bringing innovations to the processes and procedures for the conduct of Elections in line with the mandate of the Commission. 

“As the 2023 general elections draws near, it is imperative for all stakeholders especially the Political parties to note the major features introduced by the new Electoral Act 2022 and the possible implications of these changes on the upcoming elections: the happenings that accompanied the recent party primaries attest to this.

“These new initiatives as contained in the Law served as the bedrock for the reviewed Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections 2022 released by the Commission on 24th May 2022. This in turn dictated the review of the Manual for Election Officials, 2022.”

The INEC boss further explained that the introduction of electronic devices like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would continue to enhance the credibility of electoral system.

“Let me draw your attention to the fact that the use of electronic devices such as the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS), INEC Voter Enrolment Device (IVED), INEC Results Viewing Portal (IRev) and other technological devices, are now legally allowed in the accreditation process for voters, collation of results and in the general conduct of elections, Please be assured that these innovations are intended to deepen the Electoral Process in our Country and their optimal performance in the just concluded gubernatorial election in Ekiti and Osun States is an eloquent testimony to their electoral value. We shall only do more to consolidate their deployment in our election”. 

In his presentation, the guest lecturer, Prof Yemi Akinseye-Geoge, SAN, noted the imperatives of political parties doing things within the confines of the law. 

He said there is every need for parties and their candidates to be diligent in their preparations before elections as well as actions after so as not to jeopardize their chances of winning.

Akinseye-George, a former professor of Law at the Afe Babalola University gave example with the outcome of the 2019 governorship election in Imo state where a candidate that came fourth was declared winner by the Supreme Court.

“While many have expressed surprise at how a candidate who came fourth in the Gubernatorial election can be declared winner by the Supreme Court, a close study of the judgment shows that based on the facts and evidence before the court, the respondent was rightly declared the winner of that election. The appellant failed woefully to adduce evidence to contradict the petition of the Respondent a substantial number of his votes from 366 poling units were neither counted nor added to his scores.  

“The Supreme Court has decided in several cases that political parties must obey their own constitutions as the court will not allow them to act arbitrarily or as they like.

“Politics is not anarchy; it is not disorderliness; it must be punctuated by justice, fairness and orderliness.”

Earlier in his welcome address, the Director General of The Electoral Institute, Dr. Sa’ad Umar Idris said the topic of the lecture was carefully chosen to drive home the importance of political parties avoiding thorny issues that usually lead to litigations.

“This topic is also very apt, to train the Executives (National Chairman and Secretaries) of the 18 Political Parties on the various Sections of the new Act and the critical implications embedded in many of its Sections.

“The unfortunate preponderance of many legal cases arising even from the pre-election period up till after the conduct of the elections, indeed have at many times brought a lot of challenges to the electoral process and our country’s political development at large. It is hoped that with this lecture and training for party executives, due influence can be brought to bear and reduce the swift race to the courts that has characterized our political space in the last 10 years.”

Idris added that as a responsible umpire, INEC will always be conscious of their responsibilities of ensuring conduct of free, fair, credible and inclusive elections, especially with the aid of the Electoral Act 2022.