From the gubernatorial elections that took place on April
11, 2015, it was obvious there was a systemic ploy to ensure incredible results
were achieved. With a massive win of 996,071 votes out of 1,122, 836 votes cast
(representing a 90% win) one can only admire such phenomenal results. When such
great strides are achieved, it is important to study the model used and adopt
key lessons in the interest of national development.
Below are 10 key ways to achieve absolute election success:
1. Make sure people can’t vote: It’s so simple but it really
is pure genius. Across the 31 local government areas there were records of
missing election materials, especially the result sheets. As eager citizens
arrive, you can either stop them from getting accredited by making sure no PVC
card reader arrives at the polling unit or in some cases allow them to get
accredited but make sure there is no stamp to thumb print the election sheet.
Better still, you can have the ad hoc staff show that result sheets are missing
to really discourage citizens. This will make people feel that waking up early
to exercise their fundamental human right is a complete waste of time, as a
lack of result sheet shows their votes will definitely NOT count.
2. Compromise the Resident Electoral Officer (REC): This
falls in line with best practice of the top-down approach in a system where
decision-making is highly centralised. This provides an overall and clear
direction for all tiers of the electoral hierarchy, from the Electoral Officers
to the Ad-hoc Staff, to ensure a seamless execution of the plan for a
successful election.
3. Abduct over-zealous ad-hoc staff: This is for those who
will insist on doing their duty or due to a gap in communication from the
Supervising Presiding Officer (SPO) who may not have received the order of the
day. So to avert any confusion, simply abduct the young ad-hoc staff before
they arrive at their assigned polling units. It saves from the drama of
snatching ballot boxes in front of crowds as you can intervene just in time,
while you leave citizens waiting aimlessly at polling units.
Also, it’s just
for a few hours, as they will be released just in time to submit their election
materials in tact at the collation centre while they wait to receive their
appreciation envelope for the night. It is very important that both the
top-down and bottom-up approach is deployed for optimal performance and best
results delivered. Using the top-down approach provides focus, direction and
performance conditions but if used in isolation, it can be ineffective.
Such a
system, with several moving parts, must provide some level of independent
thinking to allow for quick responses when things don’t go as planned. For
instance, we observed a level of ingenuity, such as the few places where
election results sheets where not missing, fake result sheets were made
available. This shows the creativity some electoral officials displayed. This
also creates a medley of problems, which makes election reportage of actual
events overwhelming and implausible.
4. Use Violence where necessary: The use of violence in one
area can have a ripple effect that will reverberate across the entire State,
thanks to the use of mobile phones and social media. This is great, as one does
not have to use a huge amount of force as seen in prior elections but just
enough to remind people of how being democratic can land you in the gutter with
dismembered body parts. In this election we saw a more organised approach using
white buses with decent looking thugs who came to cart away ballot boxes.
They
shot in the air several times to disperse the crowd of eager citizens willing
to vote. Unfortunately, the violence did result in a few people being killed
but it is important to note it appeared it was used more as a deterrent than a
direct use of force against the Akwa Ibom people. In a country ridden with
insecurity from a terrorist group in the North, eight people getting killed and
over 30 cases of severely injured people will definitely not get any media
attention.
5. Control the media: To achieve absolute success, you
cannot afford to allow the media to be let loose in the State as they tend to
have a mind of their own, desirous of reporting real happenings in real time.
Ensure this freelance approach to the media is not condoned. They must be told
to stay away and those in the State must be controlled. In a case where the
brown appreciative envelopes do not suffice, you have to use coercion by
threatening to burn down their houses with their family in it. Of course, that
should temper down any bright ideas on election reportage and ensure they are
where the main actors of the State are to cover a seamless process of
accreditation and voting in the 30% of the State that seemed to vote.
This
will, of course, be a stark difference from what international observers and
some local observers will report but fortunately no one has a wide reach like
the local media. Those observer reports are really just for academics aspiring
to be resource people for election monitoring in developing countries.
6. Compromise some observers: Again maintaining balance is
key. It would be a shame to have such a flawless plan of robbing people of
their right to vote by leaving observers to wander around freely and reporting
a very different reality from what you have worked so hard to create. In this
case, invite them to your house for lunch, welcome them very warmly to the
State House and ensure you have discussions of how greatly you have performed
and how ecstatic the Akwa Ibom people are to vote 100% for continuity. Do let
them know that you are a product of democracy and you will continue to ensure
its dividends flow even after you’re gone as Governor.
Again thank them for
their good works and don’t forget the brown appreciative envelopes; this time,
dollars must be the currency used, as some observers are sophisticated. This
ensures they have a great time in Akwa Ibom, and for some male observers they
can now afford to experience the ‘ladies of the night’ in their hotel rooms, as
they return with a fist of full of dollars. As they report, you’ll be pleased
to see them use the buzzwords such as ‘peaceful’ and ‘perfect’ to describe the
successful election.
7. Strategic use of security forces: Ensure you have heavy
security presence in your opponent’s strong areas. As much as 22 policemen were
present in one polling unit in Eniong Offot and none were present in other
“less” threatening areas where violence erupted. This anomaly will secure the
plan in areas easily controlled. While on the other hand, keep any opposition
and their thugs from running amuck as they witness their grand plans to vote or
cause their own brand of trouble thwarted before their very eyes. Also you’ll
need to ensure the security forces across all levels are on your side.
This is
for post-election purposes, when annoying citizens who actually get upset about
their inability to vote, gather to peacefully protest the announced results.
You must ensure that none of such revolutionary activities are tolerated. For
the few bold citizens who are undeterred by the violence they heard of or
witnessed during the election process, you must make sure that as soon they
gather, you disperse them. Release fire trucks, helicopter and army tankers to
display an unrelenting show of force for those who will try to prove a point
about their right to vote.
8. Compromise heads of security forces: Again, it is not
enough to use the top-down approach only with the electoral staff, it must be
used with the security forces as well, in combination with the bottom-up approach.
Remember that it is the combination of both that delivers effective results.
You must positively influence the commissioner of police so that every time he
gets on the news to discuss the election he uses buzz words such as ‘peaceful’
and ‘perfect’ to describe the election. When asked how about the pockets of
violence being reported, he’ll react in a super confident way to play down such
reports and make lackluster statements such as ‘there’s no violence but I’ll
look into it’. He’ll stick to the narrative of a perfect election like white on
rice. This will null informal news from miscreants on social media as the main
security agent has spoken and his word is a bond.
9. Announce results as fast as you can: In this case, you
have to seek balance again because it’s a bit tricky. You can’t afford to
announce too early, as it will cause eyebrows to be raised; so make sure you
are not the first or second State to announce results but ensure you are one of
the first seven. At least a good 12 hours after elections is usually a good
time to announce the pre-written results.
Since you have achieved rule number
one by stopping 70% of the citizens from voting, you can skip the arduous task
of actually collating results from ward level to local government area level to
State level. There is no need for the manual labour of counting and deciding
how many votes will be rendered invalid to guarantee the pre-determined winner.
The pre-generated computer results is what you’ll have the REC write on the
results sheet to be announced by the Returning Officer, usually a Professor
assigned from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who also
plays his role of announcing results ‘as it is’ without any questions.
10. Media appearances: It is important to select key State
actors from the government house, the House of Assembly, former and current
National Assembly Members and NGOs (heavily linked to these State actors) as
media emissaries. You’ll need to ensure all media emissaries sing the same song
of how the State has always voted one way and will always vote that way forever
and ever. You also need to make sure all emissaries use the same buzzwords
‘peaceful’ and ‘perfect’ elections.
They cannot deviate from the script or
attempt to sound realistic by admitting to any reports of slight violence or
election fraud. They must not generalise or relate to the fact that Nigerian
elections are far from perfect. They must keep their realism to themselves.
Finally, these media emissaries need to dismiss any counter-narrative from the
public, as being the work of the agents of opposition parties. It is befitting
to label the opposition parties as sore losers who failed miserably in their
collective bid to even garner 10% of the votes in the State.
Remember to thank the
Akwa Ibom people for their steadfastness in delivering incredible election
results, giving the winner a landslide victory that is enviable by national and
global standards. When pictures of protest emerge, tell the audience that those
images are imaginary and the real march was a victory march around the State
celebrating the glorious win.
The above steps are how to win an election Akwa Ibom Style –
real democracy from the great doctrine of Akpabiosm. Hope this serves as a
useful guide in winning elections and nation building.
*NOTE: Please ignore the fact that the discrepancy of
accredited voters between the announced result sheet (1,158,624) and the INEC
server per the card reader (437,128) was 721,496. Leave the fact to your
enemies to argue amongst themselves about as you coast onto victory to be
inaugurated as Governor on May 29th.
Credit
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