Bribery: Between INEC and political parties - NEWS ANALYSIS

 by Kunle Oderemi 

THE claim, last week, in Abuja,  by the national chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, that parties often set aside funds to compromise the commission’s officials elicited spontaneous comments from their leaders. The allegation hit them like a thunderbolt with virtually all the major parties throwing bricks at Jega, who spoke at a two-day seminar entitled, ‘Party politics in Nigeria and lobbying, the lobbyists and legislature.’
While the urbane don has remained taciturn after dropping the bombshell, the parties have stuck to their guns that they are not guilty as charged by the INEC boss. Rather, they have accused him of being economical with the truth.
As far as PDP is concerned, Jega goofed by not giving the names of parties that engaged in such unorthodox practice. PDP said, “We heard that INEC chairman said some political parties bribed INEC officials to help rig or influence elections. Our response is that he should be honourable enough to mention the names of the parties.”
On its part, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) said Jega spoke with his tongue in his cheeks and could not have had  CPC as one of those parties involved in subverting the electoral process.  In fact, the party accused INEC of hugely compromising and shortchanging it in the 2011 poll. “Jega could not have been talking about CPC because we did not have the money to bribe them when they snatched 11 states from us in the 2011 elections. INEC, under him, has performed abysmally. With this statement, the question to ask is: How many of his officials have manipulated previous elections and Jega should tell the drastic steps he will take against such corrupt officials.”
Similarly, the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) queried, “Where will the ANPP get the funds to bribe officials. We started with nine states and we are now with three. If it is true that we bribed officials, our fortunes would not have dwindled,” CPC stated.
Verbal missiles were also hurled at the commission by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and other parties on the allegation. Those critical comments were not unexpected from the parties and other major players in the political arena, in view of the seriousness of the allegation. It (allegation) borders on the integrity and honour of all the implied or mentioned institutions, including INEC and security agencies that have something to do with events surrounding the conduct of elections in the country.
However, it will be foolhardy to assume that there is no iota truth in it against the background of similar allegations of compromise by judicial officials handling election petition matters. A number of judges have had their fingers soiled because of a pot of porridge and the bench has acknowledged the presence of such few bad eggs in the system.  Some parties have also been very vocal on what they called the sleaze among judges that handled election petitions from the state to the national level.
Then, which of the camps in the latest controversy is actually lying? The populace is aware of the various nebulous committees that institutions set up to serve real and imagined functions before and after elections. Some of these described as logistics and miscellaneous are a few of them.
The current issue constitutes a collective moral burden and riddle, which should not be left for Jega alone to unveil and resolve. Though belated as some perceive the allegation, it is one matter that underlines the issue of corruption in high places and institutions that ought to set good standards.
 While the jigsaw requires that Jega substantiate his allegation, the matter demands much more from members of the political class with clear conscience of providing pragmatic ways to guarantee a more decent conduct among all in subsequent elections.
It is likely now that Jega has blown the whistle, the few with a penchant for subverting the will of the people could  become more circumspect in their actions and inactions, as nothing good can ever come  from an irresponsible political class that indulges in cheating, cutting corners and nibbling the nation’s electoral fibre.
Lastly, the allegation is a direct indictment of stakeholders, the nation’s security network inclusive and INEC in particular if it fails to launch a sting operation over such curious matter.  The allegation also implies public inertia during brazen actions by institutions like parties at election time, as some prospective voters  prefer to be ‘settled’ instead of appreciating the potency of their votes. There is a need for all camps to be more alive to their responsibilities.
NigerianTribune