A group called the ‘Buhari Vanguard’ has called on well-meaning Nigerians to join a campaign to persuade the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) to conduct the 2015 elections on the same day.
The idea was broached last Saturday by General Muhammadu Buhari, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), concerning the best approach to the election.
“If all the elections are conducted on the same day, there will be less cases of snatching of ballot boxes and use of political thugs to rig elections,’’ he told journalists shortly after obtaining his official APC membership registration card, adding that it would also save costs.
“We do not see any harm in casting five ballot papers on the same day and collating same,” the Buhari Vanguard said in a press statement signed by its chairman, Jasper Azuatalam. “If we can cast three ballot papers and collate same in one day, then we can also cast 5 ballots and collate same in one day with almost the same logistics and cost.”
Full Text of the Press Statement:
A Press Release by the Buhari Vanguard on the need for INEC to hold all the 2015 general elections on the same day. January 10th, 2014.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, we have painstakingly considered the piece of advice given to the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC by Gen Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd) on the best way to conduct the 2015 general election. In the words of the disciplinarian and purveyor of zero corruption/anti-materialism, “If the 2015 general elections are conducted on thesame day, there will be fewer cases of snatching of ballot boxes and the use of political thugs to rig elections. This will also save cost”.
We have examined the position of Muhammadu Buhari and painstakingly considered the reasons put forward to buttress his position. Consequently, we have come to the conclusion that conducting the 2015 general election on the same day will avail Nigerians the freest and fairest election that will cost the nation very little compared to previous elections.
The cost effectiveness of the idea;
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission INECs guidelines on Allocation of voters to polling units and voting points, the verified number of polling units PU is approximately 120,000 (one hundred and twenty thousand) nationwide. Polling units with more than 300 registered voters are to be sub-divided into voting points VP for ease of accreditation and balloting. Unofficial reports have said that 30% of the total polling Units has been created as voting points. This means that there are 36,000 voting points. INEC guidelines further states that each polling unit shall have full compliments of polling station official, that is one presiding office, one assistant presiding office I/poll clerk and one assistant presiding officer II /poll assistance. It also stated that where a voting point VP is created, the voting point shall have a poll clerk and poll assistant. There shall also be a supervisory presiding officer and an assistant to distribute materials to each 25 polling units PU.
By this guideline, each of the 120,000 polling units shall have three officers making a total of 360,000 ad hoc staff. The 36,000 voting points shall also have two ad hoc staff each totaling 72,000 ad hoc staff. There shall be a supervisory presiding office and an assistant to manage every 25 polling units totaling 9,600 ad hoc staff. Assuming the presiding officers, clerks and assistants are paid a minimum of #10,000 per day, they will receive a total about #2 billion. If we also assume that the supervisory presiding officers and their assistants are paid #20,000 each, they will receive a total amount of about #200 million. This means that all local ad hoc staff will receive about #2.2 Billion each election day. This is apart from the Electoral officers, Returning officers from wards to LGAs and then states who earn more. We have also not considered the logistics in vehicles, fuel, materials and others which will cost billion of naira. INEC said it spent #112.9 Billion to conduct the 2011 general election which was done for three days. We believe that INEC understands this phenomenon and that is why it has reduced the number of days it will conduct the election from three days in 2011 to two days in 2015 as released by the commission. INEC will save about 35% of the total amount it spent to conduct the 2011 general election if the 2015 general elections are conducted same day.
The positive impact of the idea on a free and fair election;
It has been observed that turn out of voters’ decreases from lower elections to higher elections. This is because contestants for lower elections like the state house of assembly elections are closer to the people and as such interests are high at the grassroots leading to high turnout of voters. This is different from the presidential election where many people at the grassroots feel they are not directly affected or know the contestants in many cases and as such grassroots interest and participation are low. As they say, an idle man is the devils workshop. Disgruntled politicians will recruit many young people in an election they have little or no interest as thugs and this number of young people available as thugs may be recruited recurrently in subsequent elections to serve as thugs. We believe that many of these thuggery issues and rigging will be reduced to the barest minimum if all the general elections are held same day. There wil be a lot of interest ranging from constituency, zonal, state to national interests and as such no one will summarily rig the election in favor of one party or individual. We remember that in 2011, INEC held the general elections in three days, but have decided to reduce it to two days this time. We encourage INEC to further reduce it to one day exercise as this will have no harm but reduce cost and manipulation of election results.
We strongly reject any suggestion or attempt to use one part of the 2015 general election as a test-run as all part of the 2015 general elections are of equal important. We reject the suggestion that the 2015 general elections be spread so that a part will be used as test-run. We believe that the 2011 general election should have been enough test-run for INEC and if that was not enough, the Anambra state gubernatorial election, the forthcoming Ekiti and Osun election should be enough test-run for INEC to be fully prepared for the 2015 general election. Nigerians expect nothing less than a free, fair and generally acceptable election come 2015.
We the members of Buhari Vanguard call on all well meaningNigerians to join us in this campaign to persuade and convince the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to heed to this wonderful advise to conduct the 2015 general elections same day and save Nigeria lots of money and election malpractices. We do not see any harm in casting five ballot papers on the same day and collating same. If we can cast three ballot papers and collate same in one day, then we can also cast 5 ballots and collate same in one day with almost the same logistics and cost.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Com Jasper Azuatalam
Chairman, Buhari Vanguard
