Exclusive: No Politician has the balls to approach me to compromise election – Mike Igini
Barr. Mike Igini is the outgoing INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State. In this exclusive interview with Celestine Mel, he bares his mind on some events, experience and issues that characterised his two terms as REC in the state.
Honourable Commissioner, welcome to this special interview and congratulations on the successful conclusion of your second term as the REC in INEC. This interaction is designed to enable you document your experiences, lessons and advices towards improving the electoral process. We know that you were re-appointed by President Buhari as INEC REC in 2017. Before then, what were you doing sir?
Thank you Celestine. I am glad for the work you are doing. Before I joined INEC in 2010, I was an Executive Director in Centre for Values and Leadership – a civil society organization. I also ran my private practice as a practicing lawyer of many years post-call. I was deeply involved in trying to create a new paradigm for Nigeria. On 8th of June 2010, I had a call from the Villa that President Goodluck Jonathan was appointing me into INEC as Resident Electoral Officer. I thought it was a joke. I declined the offer. At that time, I was getting ready to leave with my family for a vacation outside the country. INEC was the least of organizations that I could accept to be part of, principally because of INEC’s record of corruption, graft, compromise, etc.
The next day, many colleagues within the CSO space weighed in. Several CSO groups had deliberations on it. A meeting was also held at Femi Falana’s Office in GRA lkeja, that I should accept the appointment; that members of CSOs needed to move from the sidelines into the mainstream, to contribute towards shaping things up from inside and my work would add value. The present Ekiti State governor – Kayode Fayemi, was part of that meeting. The issue of the missed opportunity of 1999 was raised, wherein those who fought for democracy, took the backseat and allowed the same corrupt people who were hobnobbing with the military, to transmute into active politicians, who then took control of government and made a mess of the system. The consensus was that the offer was an opportunity for the CSO’s to get involved in practical nation building.
Similarly, some South South elders also met and took a position. Real Admiral Mike Akhigbe, former Chief of General Staff (now late) to the Abdulsalam Abubakar regime, whom I had great respect for, called to persuade me to take up the offer in the service of our fatherland at his Ajose Adeogun Street residence in Lagos. He said that it was in the best interest of the region to have someone like me, take up the offer. Recall, INEC was getting a lot of flacks for the tardy manner it handled the 2007 general election and President Jonathan who succeeded President Yaradua, was determined to continue the reforms that Yaradua started in the electoral management process. Three of us – Professor Attahiru Jega, Prof. Lai Olurode and myself were the only people with Civil society and that reflected throughout the period of Prof. Jega-led Commission. We started the reforms in 2010 and we are glad that the current leadership of Prof Mahmoud Yakubu has not only consolidated the reforms, but has expanded the frontiers. That is what we call progress and we hope and pray that we continue on that trajectory to deliver the 2023 elections and beyond. President Jonathan put his foot down that we must drive the system. That was it.
After considering everything, I accepted to get involved and went to Abuja to collect the letter of appointment from the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) – Mr. Yayale Ahmed. On getting to his office, he left a message that if l came for the letter, I should wait for him. So I waited and shortly afterwards, he came from the Villa. I greeted him. He said l was the only one that was given appointment since 8th June 2010 but didn’t show up till 20th of July and that he suspected that l will decline because of my critical position about how government business is done. He advised me to accept the appointment and prove to Nigerians my sincerity that I will be different from others. He pulled my appointment letter from his folder and handed it over personally to me. He said that he admired my advocacy and strong stance on several national issues and that it was time for me to demonstrate all the things that I have been preaching and that the government put a lot of trust that we would deliver. That was how my INEC journey began. Very importantly, let me say here that I did not even face the Senate screening. I was not screened. I was seen as a fit-for-purpose and I accepted it as a new challenge. By the grace of God, I did not let those who appointed me down. I was posted to Cross River State.
Then what happened?
When I got to Cross River, I realized that politicians stole elections and stuffed ballot boxes. I told them, it would never happen under my watch. I told them that election result must reflect the will of the people. I stood my grounds and it paid off, against the wishes of the ruling party. During the 2011 Presidential election, CPC won in the Bogogbiri area of Calabar. ACN won a state constituency too. It was the first time that any opposition party had a chance.
The PDP power brokers in Cross River accused me of working for the opposition. I told them election would never be determined by their might, but by the might of the people through the ballot paper. Those who were used to rigging elections never like me for the four years I spent there. But I was at peace with my conscience and the powerless electorates
In 2012, I was sent to conduct a senatorial bye-election in Anambra State. The state was totally under the control of APGA with Peter Obi as governor. Despite APGA being the ruling party, opposition party candidate of the opposition PDP won. I must add, the Chairman of APGA commended the conduct of the election even when his party lost. The governor did not put pressure on INEC.
In 2014, I was in charge of the most vulnerable LGA in Osun State which literally determined the governorship election. Iyiola Omisore who is now the national secretary of the APC, was the candidate of the PDP. He lost the election to APC’s Rauf Aregbesola. Omisore accused me of working for the APC. My crime as always, was that I allowed the will of the people to prevail. I was undaunted.
It was the same in Edo in 2015. The Edo result was so unique that APC and PDP split the senate seats 1:2, House of Representatives 4:5, and State Assembly 23:3. That was the only state out of eleven (11) of both South South and South East that President Buhari scored 46% over and above the 25% constitutional minimum requirement. When I got there, they told me that powerful people determine Edo elections. And that since PDP was the government at the center, they will use what they called ‘federal might’. I told them that under my watch its only the might of the people through the ballot that will determine the 2015 election and that was what happened. Its voters and nobody else that exercise power in a democracy.
There are several situations like that. The problem with politicians in Nigeria generally is that they believe everybody has a price. If nothing else, I have proven to them that not everybody has a price.
Of all the states that you have been as REC, which one was the most challenging and why?
Akwa Ibom has been my biggest headache. The headache is not caused by the good and beautiful people of Akwa Ibom State, but a few politicians who became what they are politically, by writing and falsifying polling results in their private homes. When I arrived the state I set up a committee to identify the location of all polling units and discovered such polling units and we relocated twenty-three of them from private homes, which effectively neutralized their age-long rigging schemes. It was a dinosaur experience for them. The new change was too drastic and brought me in direct collision with some of the _owners_ of the units. They woke up to a new reality that was too unusual. So, they went to town with stories that I had been compromised.
On 6th August 2018, I convened a meeting of political stakeholders in Ibom Hall – Uyo and told those who promised to conduct and complete elections within three-hours that it would not happen; that every vote would be cast by human beings and counted. I challenged those who accused me of pandering to the wishes of any political party to bring out any evidence or anyone I had related with remotely or by proxy, in the State or elsewhere, prior to that day to shame me. Celestine, do you know that since I was posted to Akwa Ibom State, I have never stepped my foot into the home of any human being or anybody’s house for five years Or taken a glass of water from anybody? I have never ever met in secret or in private with anybody directly or by proxy anywhere in the world on any matter related to election in Akwa Ibom. I challenge anybody who has met me before to speak out. That challenge has remained on the table for years now. I would be glad if anyone comes out to say it is not true. I have never received any money or gift, either in person or by proxy from anybody in Akwa Ibom State since I came. I mean, anybody. Not just the politician. Indeed, people who know me have quarreled and are tired that I have never visited them. Truth is, I have never received any gift or money or inducement from anybody in my entire career in INEC. Indeed, I believe that the most powerless of people in the election value-chain are the EOs and RECs, who stay in their offices on election day to receive results that they cannot alter or determine. Yes I know that some RECs connived with politicians to release poling materials for them to rig and look the other way. I am not such a human being.
How come your tenure started since 2010 and ran till 2022 whereas the law says one can only do two renewable terms of five years each?
My first tenure in INEC ended in 2015, from 2010. In August 2017, I was re-appointed by President Mohammadu Buhari, two years in-between. I was the only one from the south-south to be so reconsidered for reappointment after so long. President Buhari did thorough background check on me before re-appointing. I guess he was convinced that I did a good job the first time. And I know in my heart that I gave the job my best. We have significantly reformed and automated INEC to the point that large-scale rigging is now impossible, no matter who comes after us. The present Electoral Act 2022 has solidified the role of INEC in election management and recognized the use of technology to conduct elections. That is a big plus. All that we have to do is full implementation
Tell me more about the Akwa Ibom experience?
A few politicians in your state have taken lie-telling to a completely unimaginable hallmark of sophistication. Some are prolific name droppers of people in the villa to intimidate. I have never witnessed the scale of lies that have been told and sustained in Akwa Ibom. It is legendary. Sometimes I wonder how they manage to do it. Another angle is their willingness to go the extra mile to seek to buy and pay for anything they wish, no matter how criminal. Professor Peter Ogban was paid to falsify the result of the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District election in 2019. He capitulated. We prosecuted and sent him to serve three years in jail. Another Professor lgnatius Uduk involved in the same Essien Udim, is standing trial for generating false figures for another candidate. Some of our staff that deviated from the highest principle of ethical standards over the 2019 election have been dismissed. What I have witnessed here, I have never seen it before or imagined it could possibly happen. Not even in the dream. Politicians go round to meet people who remotely know me – classmates, family relations, etc. Any time they relay such information to me, I tell them that those who count the votes should never be more important than those who cast the votes. I have warned anybody connected or known by me to flee from politicians that think that money is everything. The position of an umpire is a public trust that must not be betrayed for pecuniary reasons. No. It has been my stance since all these years.
There were allegations flying around in 2019 that the APC brought money to bribe you. You refused the money. As a result, they thought that PDP had gotten to you before them and bribed you hence your refusal to take theirs. This suspicion led to their hostility towards you and all the sustained but failed campaign to force Abuja to remove you. Indeed, most APC members still belief that you were compromised in 2019 by the PDP. Did you collect money from PDP or APC?
Political parties are mental constructs. There is no physical thing as a political party which can move or give money. Rather, individuals who make up the party have approached several people who they believe wrongly, could have influence over me, to seek to reach me and offer inducement. In a particular instance, someone informed me that someone offered to fly me out of the country in a private jet to meet them, if I was not comfortable to deal in Nigeria. I turned every effort like that down. And I tell you what, politicians have not developed the nerves and the balls to approach me personally, to offer a bribe or discuss matters relating to compromising any election. They know the possible consequences of such a mistake. Many politicians have been duped of huge sums of money in the name of Mike Igini. And because some of these politicians are so desperate they become gullible , they would give their money to people. There was a case like that in which a politician gave money to someone and one of the security agencies brought to my notice. I told them I cannot listen to such stupidity. Money for Mike Igini to do what? Of course, I am told that before I got to Akwa Ibom, results were written in connivance with my predecessors who would collect money to look the other way and put people in power. The culture was so grand that they would never have imagined something different. Until I came.
To be continued…
