Ephraim Akpata
Encyclopedia
Justice Ephraim Omorose Ibukun Akpata was the first chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) of Nigeria
, responsible for the 1998/1999 elections that re-introduced democracy in May 1999.
. He attended King's College, Lagos
and went on to study law. In his book 888 Days in Biafra, Samuel Enadeghe Umweni recollects how Lawyer Akpata twice made the dangerous journey across the front lines to visit him while he was held prisoner by the breakaway Biafran troops during the Nigerian Civil War
(1967 - 1970).
Akpata became a justice of the Supreme court, retiring in 1993 at the age of 65.
He was appointed to head the INEC in 1998 when General Abdulsalam Abubakar's Administration established the INEC to organize the transitional elections that ushered in the Nigerian Fourth Republic
on May 29 1999.
Of 26 political associations, he gave provisional registration as political parties for the 1998/1999 elections to only nine, with only three parties finally qualifying to compete in the State and National elections.
This caused the formation of coalitions of smaller associations, such as the Group of 34 which formed the new People's Democratic Party
(PDP).
Coalitions had to become genuine parties. In January 1999 Akpata said that the electoral alliance announced between the Alliance for Democracy
(AD) and All People's Party (APP) "appeared to contravene INEC rules". He said the two parties wanted to "derive the benefits of a merger without going through with one".
Akpata was critical of the process through which the PDP selected its candidates, saying it fell "short of the level of transparency expected from a democratic process."
Elections for the Governorships were held in January 1999, with the PDP winning 19 out of 35 states, the APP winning 9 states and the AD winning 6 states. The elections were largely orderly and peaceful, and Akpata said they were free and fair.
The elections for the House of Representatives and the Senate were held in February 1999. In the Senate the PDP won 59 seats, the APP 29 and the AD 20. In the House, the PDP won 206 seats, the APP 74 and the AD 68. Elections were delayed due to security reasons in Akwa Ibom, Delta, Nasarawa and Rivers states. Akpata told a news conference that although generally fair, there had been some voting irregularities.
In the 27 February 1999 presidential elections, the AD and APP fielded a joint candidate, Chief Olu Falae
, who lost to the PDP candidate, former General and military ruler Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo gained 63% of the votes.
Akpata accepted foreign election monitors from the US-based Carter Center
and the National Democratic Institute, and supported their request to train thousands of local observers. Reports from these groups on the earlier elections were generally favorable, although they noted low turn out and some irregularities. Reports on later elections were more critical, describing irregularities including inflated vote returns, ballot box stuffing, altered results, and disenfranchisement of voters.
After the elections, former US President Jimmy Carter
sent a letter to Akapata that said "There was a wide disparity between the number of voters observed at
the polling stations and the final results that have been reported from several states. Regrettably, therefore, it is not possible for us to make an accurate judgment about the outcome of the presidential election."
Olu Falae later alleged that the election was massively rigged in favor of the PDP.
Justice Ephraim Akpata died on 8 January 2000 at the age of 72.
Independent National Electoral Commission
The Independent National Electoral Commission , set up in 1998, is the electoral body which was set up to oversee elections in Nigeria.The INEC has encountered several controversies in the run-up to the April 2007 general elections, including criticism about its preparedness from Sada Abubakar,...
(INEC) of Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, responsible for the 1998/1999 elections that re-introduced democracy in May 1999.
Background
Ephraim Akpata was born in 1927 in Edo StateEdo State
Edo State is an inland state in central southern Nigeria. Its capital is Benin City. It is bounded in the north and east by Kogi State, in the south by Delta State and in the west by Ondo State.-History:...
. He attended King's College, Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
and went on to study law. In his book 888 Days in Biafra, Samuel Enadeghe Umweni recollects how Lawyer Akpata twice made the dangerous journey across the front lines to visit him while he was held prisoner by the breakaway Biafran troops during the Nigerian Civil War
Nigerian Civil War
The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War, 6 July 1967–15 January 1970, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the southeastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra...
(1967 - 1970).
Akpata became a justice of the Supreme court, retiring in 1993 at the age of 65.
He was appointed to head the INEC in 1998 when General Abdulsalam Abubakar's Administration established the INEC to organize the transitional elections that ushered in the Nigerian Fourth Republic
Nigerian Fourth Republic
The Fourth Republic is the republican government of Nigeria. Since 1999 it has governed the country according to the fourth republican constitution. It was in many ways a revival of the Second Republic, which was in place between 1979 and 1983 and suffers many of the same problems, such as multiple...
on May 29 1999.
Formation of parties
To avoid splits along ethnic lines, Akpata stipulated that only parties with broad-based national support would be allowed to contest the elections. He ruled that political parties must win local government electoral seats in at least ten states to qualify for the gubernatorial, state assembly, national assembly and presidential elections.Of 26 political associations, he gave provisional registration as political parties for the 1998/1999 elections to only nine, with only three parties finally qualifying to compete in the State and National elections.
This caused the formation of coalitions of smaller associations, such as the Group of 34 which formed the new People's Democratic Party
People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The People's Democratic Party is a political party in Nigeria. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.-History:In...
(PDP).
Coalitions had to become genuine parties. In January 1999 Akpata said that the electoral alliance announced between the Alliance for Democracy
Alliance for Democracy (Nigeria)
The Alliance for Democracy was a progressive opposition political party in Nigeria. It was formed on September 9th 1998. At the 2003 legislative elections, 12 April 2003, the party won 8.8 % of the popular vote and 34 out of 360 seats in the Nigerian House of Representatives and six out of...
(AD) and All People's Party (APP) "appeared to contravene INEC rules". He said the two parties wanted to "derive the benefits of a merger without going through with one".
Akpata was critical of the process through which the PDP selected its candidates, saying it fell "short of the level of transparency expected from a democratic process."
Elections
The INEC ran a series of elections. Local Government polls were held in December 1998, with the PDP winning 59%, the APP 25.8% and the AD 13.2% of the seats.Elections for the Governorships were held in January 1999, with the PDP winning 19 out of 35 states, the APP winning 9 states and the AD winning 6 states. The elections were largely orderly and peaceful, and Akpata said they were free and fair.
The elections for the House of Representatives and the Senate were held in February 1999. In the Senate the PDP won 59 seats, the APP 29 and the AD 20. In the House, the PDP won 206 seats, the APP 74 and the AD 68. Elections were delayed due to security reasons in Akwa Ibom, Delta, Nasarawa and Rivers states. Akpata told a news conference that although generally fair, there had been some voting irregularities.
In the 27 February 1999 presidential elections, the AD and APP fielded a joint candidate, Chief Olu Falae
Olu Falae
Samuel Oluyemisi Falae , simply known as Olu Falae, is a Nigerian politician from Akure, Ondo State. A Yale University-trained banker, he served as the Federal Minister of Finance in the military regime of Ibrahim Babangida in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
, who lost to the PDP candidate, former General and military ruler Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo gained 63% of the votes.
Akpata accepted foreign election monitors from the US-based Carter Center
Carter Center
The Carter Center is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. In partnership with Emory University, The Carter Center works to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering...
and the National Democratic Institute, and supported their request to train thousands of local observers. Reports from these groups on the earlier elections were generally favorable, although they noted low turn out and some irregularities. Reports on later elections were more critical, describing irregularities including inflated vote returns, ballot box stuffing, altered results, and disenfranchisement of voters.
After the elections, former US President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
sent a letter to Akapata that said "There was a wide disparity between the number of voters observed at
the polling stations and the final results that have been reported from several states. Regrettably, therefore, it is not possible for us to make an accurate judgment about the outcome of the presidential election."
Olu Falae later alleged that the election was massively rigged in favor of the PDP.
Justice Ephraim Akpata died on 8 January 2000 at the age of 72.