Did the constitution forget to make rules and regulations to be followed by INEC? Or is it that the government is ashamed to chastise the electoral body?
Every news leads to Rivers State re-run election, the youth corps member that was killed, the injured and the death record. Deep down every Nigerian, we know that to conduct an election, of every 100 percent, there is a chance of an attack of 50-60 percent, it is expected, news is hovering around the date and when the day for election comes, news men are not disappointed in most cases.
Based on the question asked in the first paragraph, one begins to wonder if there are no rules put in place for the electoral commission to properly conduct an election; if an election is scheduled for a date, a date set by them, the staffs don’t show up till evening or into the Afternoon, if they come early, the materials are not at the venue or is being delayed. Somebody ask me how a body is given four years to conduct an election still end up unprepared? In the case of a re-run, somebody has to die for their loop-holes. The more time they waste to conduct an election, more schemes to disrupt the exercise is being planned.
The security during election is no longer a question, we believe we are risking our lives to vote in this country, no wonder most people don’t come out to vote. The corps member killed during the exercise in Rivers State re-run election is a sad thing, but we all know he is not the first corps member to die while conducting an election, lots of them, no protection, risk people’s lives and we say they were paid for the job.
So, is it a case of lack of allocation to the electoral body by the government or INEC is above the law to own up to their responsibilities? It’s time we know why a certain body has four years to prepare for an exercise and end up unprepared all the time.