FOCUS; Governorship & State House of Assembly Election, 11th March 2023

Few days ago Nigerians went to the polls to elect their next president and members of the NASS despite voters suppression or various challenges reported in several states across Nigeria, the election recorded the largest turn out in Nigeria’s journey to democracy in recent times!

However, the outcome of the election became an anticlimax! So many things went wrong in the process of the election but most annoying was the final outcome.

There is no doubt that most Nigerians are saddened and livid with anger & the blame game has started. My intention here is not to contribute to the blame game but admonish us not to allow any negative thinking, feelings or advice numb our sense of reasoning to forget that there is still hope ahead, if we focus very well. Sadly some people fold their arms vows not to vote again & others destroyed their PVCs, but whether you will vote or not nothing will stop the elections to hold as scheduled with or without your vote & certainly winners will be declare & return as specified by the laws. Eventually they will make decisions that will affect your future and wellbeing whether you like them or not! So we better exercise our constitutional responsibilities & act like good politicians & give our people the New Nigeria we promised them.

Yes, few days from today there will be another set of elections to elect our governors & members of state house assemblies & if we fail to domesticate & overcome our challenges & come up with viable strategy to enable the party win & gain more ground is as good as we are not paving ways for 2027 general election.

We should take note of the following

1) The party should properly address the issue of polling agents & ensure they are capable & trained. Supervision/Monitoring is very necessary to keep them on check.

2) Before accreditation and voting begins in any polling unit (PU), it is the job of the agents to ensure that the BVAS machine meant for the PU is available and working, know the total number of registered voters in that PU and ensure that the numbers accredited by BVAS to vote doesn’t exceed the registered number, make sure that only those accredited receive ballot papers to vote, make sure that at the end of voting the counting of votes is done transparently according to the laws, take accurate records of all the votes won by each party, the number of rejected votes, and make sure the total number of votes cast do not exceed the accredited number, make sure the forms brought to fill in the voting records as outlined above are genuine papers with the requisite stamps from the INEC office, after the election make sure copies of the genuine records which are duly signed by the agents and all concerned is snapped with the phones of the agents, and make sure that the information is also transmitted or transferred through the BVAS to INEC server by authorized INEC staff!

3. The agents should follow the INEC officials to all the collation centers up to the last stage! Make sure that only duly signed and stamped results are collated! If there is any infringement of the process outlined then raise your objection, if possible record it! Ensure that only the true results are declared at all levels up to to the final collation and announcement of the winners!
4. If there is any security bridge before, during and after the voting, record the details of what happened! This includes vote inducement of any type at the PU and collation centers!

The interest of the party is paramount & should be treated above any other interest.

May God help us to put on our thinking cap and prepare to do the right thing before, during and after the voting exercise on March 11 and may the outcome brighten the party chances to win all the election 2027 general election.

Engr Mohammed Babayo Abdullahi
Founding Member NNPP