As campaign activities for the September 21st Edo State Governorship election intensify, Mr. Tony Dania, a popular human rights activist and legal practitioner, has called on the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) to implement the Option A4 system of voting.
He said this is to ensure a credible, transparent, free, and fair voting process during the polls.
The Option A4 electoral system, also referred to as the open ballot system, is a method of voting whereby voters openly queue behind the picture of their preferred candidates in an election. This system was introduced by a former Chairman of INEC, Prof Humphrey Nwosu, under the regime of former military president Ibrahim Babangida.
When used in the 1993 election,this method produced the fairest and freest election in Nigeria’s history.
In this interview with The Nigerian Xpress, Dania, a maritime expert and litigation practitioner, argued that a return to Option A4 would save Nigeria the huge budget allotted to INEC to conduct elections. He also bared his mind on several national issues.
In a few weeks, Edo would be heading to the polls to elect a new governor, who would succeed the outgoing Godwin Obaseki. As a community leader, how ready are you and the electorate for the election?
For this Edo State election, I will support any candidate I feel is best for the state. I might decide to participate in party activities just because of the candidate I support. For instance, when ex-President Muhammadu Buhari contested in 2015, like many Nigerians, we all thought it was the messiah, and we supported him. For me, I did not only support him, but I also used my own money to campaign and mobilise votes for him. Nobody gave me anything.
Godwin Obaseki was another politician, who enjoyed that kind of support when he contested for the Edo governorship in 2016. Senator Adams Oshiomole, the outgoing governor at that time, supported him to become governor. During the campaign, Oshiomole told Edo people that Obaseki’s opponent, Pastor Tony Ize-Iyamu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was the devil and that we shouldn’t vote for him.
But in the 2020 election, after Oshiomole fell out with Obaseki, he came back again to tell us that the same Pastor Iyamu, is now a saint and a better option than Obaseki, whom he had sold to us. It was at that point that Edo people said, ‘No! you don’t control us’ and then went ahead to vote for Obaseki for the second term. At that election, I didn’t only vote for Obaseki, I also campaigned for him at my expense.
However, I am highly disappointed in his administration. I don’t see what he has done for Edo State or any sort of legacy he wants to leave. He seemed to be interested in fighting political opponents. He’s not using maturity at all.
Look at the disturbing cases of insecurity in Edo. Do you think the governor can remove himself from blame? Who is the chief security officer of the state? Last month, gunmen attacked the convoy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and the reinstated deputy governor, Phillip Shaibu, in broad daylight inside the state capital near the airport. No excuse would absolve the state governor. I’m not accusing him but all I am saying is that he is the chief security officer of the state, and he should be held accountable. I don’t support Philip Shuaibu or even the APC candidate for the state. In due time I will announce the candidate that I support.
How much belief do you have in INEC’s preparedness to conduct a credible gubernatorial election?
I am not very optimistic about INEC’s preparedness. This is because the electoral body, plus other powerful politicians, will come up with laws or regulations for election, but will also devise schemes to negatively exploit the electoral system to meet their private desires.
The best election, the most transparent elections that have never been beaten in the history of Nigeria is the 1993 election. That is when Professor Humphrey Nwosu introduced the open ballot system. That system was the cheapest, and the most transparent we’ve ever heard. And I’m among the few activists advocating that Nigeria should go back to that electoral system.
What would you say to people who say the open ballot voting system is no longer in vogue?
We should introduce things that people in other parts of the world can learn from. Countries are coming to Nigeria for us to teach them how we established successful cables and drug factories. Some nations are asking about our National Youth Service Corps (NYSC); they like the concept and would want to introduce it in their country. So, we can make them learn from us that Nigeria can have a voting system that does not cost all the billions budgeted for the election umpires. With the open ballot system of voting, the results at the polls will not be in doubt because you are getting it declared immediately before the electorate. So, there will be no room for results manipulation, glitches, or any other negative exploitation of technology. Let’s ignore critics, who say that we are primitive, and focus on achieving a good purpose and credibility at our elections. If we remain dedicated to an open ballot system, other countries could borrow a leaf from us and start doing it too.
We have used the open ballot system in this country before, in 1992, and to date, no election has surpassed the credibility and transparency we witnessed at that time. I get worried any time I look at these so-called modern ways of voting, and how much we spend on them. Do you know how many billions Jonathan approved for INEC in 2015? It was 90 billion first, then another 100 billion, then another 70 billion. These monies should have been deployed to vital development projects, we wouldn’t need to spend that much on elections. Introducing an open ballot voting system will bring sanity to our electioneering process.
Since the announcement of the removal of fuel subsidy, many Nigerians became excited about when the Dangote Refinery would begin operation. As a maritime lawyer, would you say this high anticipation is valid?
Yes, it is. First, I commend the president for the removal of the fuel subsidy. The government gives subsidies to reduce the cost of landing and distribution of petroleum products when imported. But now we have gotten the biggest refinery operated by a private individual in Nigeria, and Africa.
That refinery has plenty of economic benefits for our country. One, transactions between Dangote and NNPCL would be done locally, which would reduce the pressure on naira and make it appreciated. I’m happy the Federal Government has recognised this now and asked Dangote to pay for crude in naira.
Two, Dangote would enhance the power supply in communities around there. The company generates about 30 megawatts of electricity and it cannot consume it alone because the refinery would need about five megawatts to operate. So, the rest of the power could be channeled to communities around there.
It would also create jobs in shipping/ tanker vessels. Crude oils extracted from refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Bonny terminals would be shipped to the Dangote Refinery, which would create jobs for local vessels. This is an area the Federal Government is supposed to exploit because before we know it, foreign vessels will come in, exploit the cabotage law, and they will be granted a licence to operate their ship. Workers at these shipping companies would also need food when they are at sea. So, it takes someone to create value by supplying food to these shipping crew. These are jobs small businesses can get engaged in.
What is your take on the gang-up against Dangote Refinery, especially after Hundeyin’s confession that he was offered $500,000 to discredit the operations of the refinery?
First, I must congratulate Dangote because he seems to be gaining the upper hand in this conspiracy to bring down his investment. As a maritime professional, I know what that refinery will bring, not only to Nigeria but also to West Africa. Of course, we have always known that there is a conspiracy within the Western world to keep Nigeria underdeveloped, but I have hope that Nigeria will be better.
Dangote Refinery will offer jobs not only in the maritime industry but also in oil and gas. If our vessels are qualified, they can be used to ferry crude oil to Dangote Refinery, and our local vessels can also be used to ferry refined products from Dangote Refinery to other platforms within Nigeria.
It is most unfortunate that the Federal Government almost allowed the conspiracy to succeed. I want to thank that young man for exposing this fact. Others would not resist the offer of $500,000 and would be willing to do the damaging work he was expected to do.
Dangote himself has been in big business for a long time, and he ought to know that something like this could happen. He should have taken steps to prevent it. We heard him complaining that the mafia in the oil business is more powerful than the mafia in the drug world. Anybody in the maritime sector involved in oil and gas in Nigeria knows that. We are aware of the existence of the mafia, and Dangote is also aware. So, Dangote ought not to have waited for all this to start happening.
I am against the conspiracy, and at the last protest for END BAD GOVERNANCE in Nigeria, Dangote’s issue was part of what aggrieved Nigerians. I stated in an interview that it was part of the grievances. When the Federal Government said it would give Dangote Refinery direct crude oil allocation and allow him to pay in naira, that was something I had personally recommended to the Federal Government – that local transactions should be done in naira. If you go to the Nigerian Maritime sector, local transactions are done in dollars, which is wrong. If our vessel arrives at our port for the first time, you are required to pay a certain agreed amount, like first entry fees, in dollars, which is wrong; it should be in naira. This would reduce the pressure on the naira against the dollar.
I am happy that the conspiracy will fail, but we should be ready for more. Certain persons in this country are so dependent on corruption that it will be very difficult to change their mindset. I have not heard anything from the Federal Government, regarding the few exposures that Dangote gave to Nigerians. To this extent, I will do anything within my power, just as this young man did, to ensure that Dangote remains afloat. Dangote Refinery is a huge investment that will have a positive impact on Nigerians and the economy. These People are not happy because it could have led to a reduction in the pump prices of petroleum products like PMS, kerosene, diesel, and fuel. Crude oil is like the palm fruit – nothing is wasted; everything about crude oil is useful. So, if we have a refinery of this standard, we are sure to get finished products at good rates.
The attempt to make Nigerians believe that Dangote is negatively exploiting us is wrong and very unpatriotic. This is orchestrated by a few corrupt oil magnates and government officials. We know them, and Dangote has mentioned some of them. The moment Dangote gets it right and the refinery starts proper operation, we will see the impact on the economy.
What lesson must local investors learn from the whole back and forth?
Let me quickly tell you about a client who wanted to set up a modular refinery. He consulted us and was frustrated. Local operators should know that they are up against mafias who will try to frustrate them. It seems difficult to frustrate Dangote, which is why he has succeeded. When I heard he wanted to set up a refinery, I was very happy because I knew this was a man who could fight the mafia. If you are setting up a similar refinery, which is encouraging, we should be able to encourage as many investors as possible to set up refineries. We cannot be one of the largest producers of crude oil in the world and not have refineries. We export our crude oil and buy finished products, which is very bad. Russia has crude oil and the largest number of refineries. We also have mobile refineries, which are ships that refine crude oil while moving to deliver it to platforms for onward distribution.
Local operators should learn to be ahead and get to go to do so approvals on time. I had a client who was bringing in apple fruit. We prepared the papers and bill of lading before the ship arrived, and then we started clearing the shipment. Operators should learn how to get all the licenses, approvals, and allocations ahead of time. We have some foreigners who have constituted themselves as brokers, and it is only through them that you can sell. I don’t understand this country. We have capable maritime and oil and gas professionals who are brokers and consultants, but we go out and rely on foreigners for obvious reasons – they want to enrich themselves personally.
If we want to do it officially, I have recommended that we should have a brokers’ association here in Nigeria, so that such an association can speak out. If you have a brokers’ association for oil and gas and maritime, you can’t just go out; the association will come out stronger against it. We want the federal government to encourage local talent.