2023: APC’s manipulation has already begun. By Ibrahim Sarafa

A year from now, Nigerians will go to the polls to elect people to the various political offices in the country. It will be one of the most crucial decisions in recent times. But before it happen, there are clear signs that manipulations, not ballots cast by Nigerians will decide the outcomes of the polls.

By designs and conducts, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is not prepared to make our elections free, fair and credible. In a democracy, citizens should be able to vote and the vote count. But so far, the APC is actively manufacturing means to distort this clear principle.

For more than a year now, the APC have subtly and in some cases, openly attempt to frustrate efforts to make our elections credible. Last year, the APC caucus in both chamber of the National Assembly voted to reject the use of technology to transmit election results and curb the manipulation of election outcomes at collation centres. It took the intense pressures of Nigerians and the assurance of the country’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for them to reluctantly changed stance.

And recently, the APC controlled Senate confirmed Professor Rhoda Gumus as a National Commissioner (South South) in the country’s electoral umpire. For many who may not know, Prof Gumus is not just a staunch promoter of the APC, but a registered member of the ruling party.

Clear enough, it was a blight on the impartiality of the INEC, and a clear pointer that the APC, just as it has done to many other sensitive organisation, turning the country’s electoral umpire into an arm of the party. Having Prof Gumus as an INEC National Commissioner is simply telling Nigerians that their votes will no longer count especially when it does not favour the APC.

This seriously put to question the integrity of the 2023 elections as it will be unreasonable to expect Prof Gumus to be neutral in a contest that the APC will be on the ballot. It is this understanding that has aroused the consciousness of main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to brand the confirmation of Prof Gumus as a “coup against democracy and an open invitation to serious political crisis that can derail our hard-earned democracy and lead to breakdown of law and order if not immediately reversed.”

Regardless of the party you’re supporting, all Nigerians should be able to agree on one thing– elections must be clean and free of manipulation. But this can not be possible when a card-carrying member of a political party will be involved in an election that will involve his political party.

From a legal point of view, Prof Gumus’s confirmation as INEC National Commissioner run foul of many provisions of our law. And on a moral ground, it was everything wrong and a clear indication that the APC was never interested in a transparent elections. With Prof Gumus in INEC, it is most certain that his partisan considerations will weigh on his actions and inactions, making manipulations of election outcomes a strong likelihood.

To make our elections credible and rebuild confidence in elections outcome, managers of the electoral process should be nonpartisan. What the confirmation of Prof Gumus by the APC dominated Senate strongly suggests that the APC is prepared to ensure victory for the party in the 2023 elections by whatever means necessary.

This would simply render Nigeria democracy practically meaningless because manipulations will be the deciding factor and not the people. While this may be fine with many APC supporters who saw nothing wrong in this glaring attempt to make serious mess of our democracy, the truth is that the long term implication will be devastating.

Although, it may take sometime but definitely, whatever damage that is done to our democracy will later catch up with the APC. That is why no one interested in the sustenance of our fragile democracy will be at home with this systematic attempt to ruin our electoral institution. Voters should be the ones who decides who leads them but with someone like Prof Gumus in the INEC, it will be hard to guarantee that. In essence, APC is trying to kill our democracy. Will you allow it?

_Ibrahim Sarafa writes from Osun. He’s a journalist and a member of *Rescue House*. He can be reached via Twitter: @SarafaNgr and email: neyoclass09@gmail.com_