The Chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has
dismissed as rumour the allegation making the rounds that there are plans to
postpone next year’s general election. Jega said at the public presentation of
the Nigerian Media Code of Election coverage held in Lagos on Wednesday while
fielding questions from the media: “A lot of the information being spread about
elections not holding next year are just rumours and nothing more.” While
accepting that there were areas of the electoral process that were beyond the
control of the INEC, Jega reiterated earlier promises given by the electoral
body that the commission was prepared to conduct free and fair and transparent
general elections in 2015. “What I can guarantee you is that INEC as an
electoral body is, prepared to conduct the elections in every part of the
country.”
The commission’s
confidence was in its preparedness. According to Jega, the tool which was first
pioneered in Kenya, helps to assess security challenges ahead of the election
and how such challenges can be mitigated. According to Jega, one constraint
that could likely pose as a challenge in the aftermath of next years’ elections
was the ambiguity inherent in some sections of the Electoral Act, which he said
was being amended in the National Assembly. “We have been urging the lawmakers
in the National Assembly for a long time to quicken the process of correcting
the contradictions in some sections of the Electoral Act.
We continue to appeal
to them to speed up the process.” Acknowledging confidence in the overall
process taken by INEC to ensure a free, fair and transparent elections next
year, Jega said what worries the commission was the conduct and disposition of
politicians. Charging traditional, religious and local leaders to be more
actively engaged in their communities so as to proactively forestall those likely
to foment trouble, Jega also solicited the corporation of the media.
ThisDay (online)
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