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Abuja, Nigeria – Will Nigerians finally be able to elect a new president at a free election and just after a week or so?
That is the question on a lot of lips as the Independent Electoral Commission of Nigeria (INEC) is trying to solve the logistical problems that forced the postponement of the polls one week last Saturday.
As voters prepare to vote Saturday in the rescheduled presidential and legislative elections, concerns about credibility or the lack of credibility of the polls persist.
"I have reservations about the INEC and the holding of free and fair elections.This is due to the level of interference that we are already seeing from various government bodies and to intimidation of candidates by thugs and government agents, "said Victor Okhai, presidential candidate of the Congress of the People of Providence.
"Although Nigerians are ready, INEC – who has had up to four years and some elections to train – does not seem ready to judge by recent developments," Okhai said. Al Jazeera.
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| Victor Okhai, presidential candidate of the Congress of the people of Providence [Courtesy: Victor Okhai/Al Jazeera] |
Nightmare of logistics
The electoral commission pledged on Thursday not to postpone the elections.
The presidential and legislative votes were to take place on February 16 and the state governor on March 2, before they were delayed five hours before the opening of polling stations.
The two general elections of 2011 and 2015 were also delayed.
Some Nigerians are still worried that Saturday's elections will be postponed due to unresolved logistical problems.
Some election documents were prevented from reaching the polling stations.
"In a tight election, fraught with pitfalls and irregularities, the winner may ultimately be chosen by the courts rather than the voters", Matthew Page, badociate partner at Chatham House, told Al Jazeera.
"Given the lack of independence of the Nigerian judiciary and its reputation for well-earned corruption, it is possible that the Nigerian presidency will be sold primarily to the highest bidder," he added.
INEC, however, said plans are in place for a smooth vote.
"We always said that we would be open and transparent Yes, during the distribution, we can find packages belonging to a state in another state.But once the discovery is made, the package is delivered to the Central Bank. which then delivers the package in the good condition, "said Mahmood Yakubu, president of the INEC.
& # 39; Dead voters & # 39;
Millions of Nigerians who registered to vote in the elections did not receive their voter card. In total, 72.7 million of the 84 million voters have the right to vote Saturday.
The distribution of cards has not been as smooth as expected and some voters have spent trying hours in the offices of the INEC to recover theirs.
The main opposition party, the PDP, claims that there are more than a million dead voters on the INEC list.
The party also raised concerns about updating the voters' list, which could be used to manipulate the elections.
"There has been a coordinated approach to registering foreigners, mainly from Niger and Cameroon, as voters, which is why INEC has put in place as many voting units along the way. borders with Cameroon and Niger, "said Uche Secondus, chairman of the PDP.
Images of police and soldiers using President Muhammadu Buhari's campaign sign, which indicates support, have become viral.
We see the security forces, hands in the air, showing what is locally called "4 + 4", which means a second four-year term for the outgoing president.
The military authorities have promised to investigate the officers involved. But it also raised doubts about the neutrality of election security personnel.
"Until now, the INEC has respected its commitments," said Al Jazeera, a political scientist, Abubakar Umar.
"The electoral process was devoid of substance and full of meaningless maneuvering and maneuvering at the expense of the actual marketing of the candidates and what they represent." The elections were also tainted with hate speech, hate speech, and hate speech. generous use of false information and defamation, "said Umar added.
Questionable result
The surprise postponement of the elections last Saturday and the red flags on the credibility of the ballot boxes sparked a debate over the possible results.
"It is impossible to comprehensively badess the credibility of elections without INEC publishing detailed and complete data on election results in a transparent and timely manner," said Page.
The All Progressive Congress party and the opposition have expressed anger over the postponement of the elections and the process leading up to the vote.
"I envision that the results will be seriously challenged and challenged.It is because the gladiators of the two largest parties have vowed not to give in or give the win in case they lose." is not healthy for politics, "said Okhai.
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