By Chidiebere Onyemaizu
Professor Chris Chimdubem Ngwu is a Professor of Mass Communication and until recently when he was appointed Chairman of Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission, a lecturer at the Enugu State University, Agbani.
In this interview, Professor Ngwu, among other issues, speaks about how members of some parties taking part in the September 21st, 2024 local government election in the state have been mounting pressure on him to compromise the electoral process to their favour. He also talks about his Commission’s preparedness to conduct free, fair and transparent election, assuring the neutrality of the Commission under his watch.
Congrats on your appointment as the Chairman of Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission. How prepared is your Commission for the forthcoming council election in the state?
Well, we are well prepared. Very well prepared.
What unique innovations have you brought to bear on the commission for effectiveness and transparency?
We have introduced transparency, fairness and openness to the process; we have nothing to hide. We have also engaged in a constructive interface with all the political parties and stakeholders. I think these are innovations for me.
A broad spectrum of Nigerians see State Independent Electoral Commissions as mere appendages to the state governors who set them up, and also as a “selection Commission” whose duties are just to announce as winners of council elections, selected anointees of the governors. How different is your Commission?
It is not like that, it couldn’t have been like that except you are also saying that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC is also an appendage of the presidency, of Aso Villa. No! It is not like that. As I said earlier, the process is open and the contest will be fair. If you are prepared, just go ahead and participate in the contest. Let me tell you this, some people from some parties I wouldn’t want to mention their names or names of the parties, have been coming to me-those who know me anyway-asking me if I could, because of our relationship, give it to them and announce them as winners and I told them no, I told them, please, if you are prepared to run for the election, go out there and campaign and contest. They said they don’t want to waste their money and whether it wasn’t going to be as usual, I told them it is not going to be as usual, it’s going to be an open contest, keenly contested. So if you are prepared, go ahead and contest. Yes, we could be an appendage of the government because government funds us because we don’t have financial independence but that doesn’t mean that we just select people and announce as winners. There has to be a contest, there must be candidates. There was another party that came, in one particular local government, because some of them know me, they said I should just go ahead and give them nomination papers in that local government, that they didn’t quite like what their state party chairman did. I said, well, you didn’t do your primaries in the selected place, you gathered in one private residence and did your primaries and we didn’t observe it and I have never heard that you have a faction in your party but they keep calling me. I told the state party chairman, get your nomination forms and send me the list of your candidates based on the primaries we monitored. So it is going to be a free and fair election.
Most local government elections across the country are often marred by low turnout of voters arising from lack of enthusiasm and confidence in the process. What steps has your commission taken to build confidence and sensitize the people about the coming election?
Well, it is not our duty as a commission to start going from local government to local government or ward to ward calling people out, No, it is not for us. It is the duty of the parties and their candidates to sensitize the people about the election. Meanwhile, we have gone to the TV, the radio, the social media etc to mobilize people. So, for me, that is enough. It is now left for the parties and candidates to do their work; we can’t do their campaigns for them.
How many parties have indicated interest in the election?
16 parties have indicated interest.
You are a university don, an erudite academic and a Professor of Mass Communication, how does it feel leaving the classroom, the academic turf to take up a very sensitive political appointment as Chairman of an electoral Commission? Are you not concerned that the fallout of the election- the controversies often associated with electoral process, elections, election results and electoral umpires- could leave a scar on your image and academic career?
No no! Which scare? It cannot do that. I have reached the peak of my academic career, so I’m not afraid of any scar, besides, this is a call to service. The state said I should serve it. Must I end my life in the classroom? I have to try the other side of life, and I’m beginning to see the other side of life interacting with people, not just students and fellow lecturers. I’m now mixing up with the society interacting and feeling the pulse of the society and the society is now feeling me more; getting to know who is who, who is what and who is doing what. So, it is not going to leave a scar on my career. I feel elated, I feel okay. I feel fulfilled. When I’m done , I will move back to the academic environment to continue but for now, let me serve the state, it is a call to service.
Do you subscribe to the call on INEC to take over the conduct of LGA elections in the states…
(Cuts in)How can INEC do that? Is INEC done with its own statutory responsibilities? How successful, how transparent has INEC been that it can now take over the duties of states Independent Electoral Commissions? INEC has a lot in its own hands, and adding the conduct of LGA elections is creating more problems for INEC. We all know about the controversies surrounding INEC elections, every time it conducts elections. So, I cannot subscribe to that; I can’t support that.
The Commission recently altered the date of the election….
It was shifted down to September 21st based on a court order. We were ordered to conduct the election on or before 21st of September, 2024.
What assurances are you giving to the people of Enugu State as well as the participating political parties about the neutrality of your Commission and the fairness of the electoral process?
The election is going to be very fair. Anybody that wins as councillor or local government Chairman will be declared winner and nothing will stop that from happening. It is a double assurance. I’m a very firm person and I’m going to be firm in my decisions.
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