INEC: Credible LG Polls Needed For Strong Electoral System — Prof Yakubu

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman (C) speaking

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday underscored that free, fair and credible local governments elections are important to strengthen the country’s electoral processes.

Leadership newspaper report continues:

The INEC boss stated this when the management of Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) led by its chairperson, Dr Binta Dikko-Audu paid him a courtesy call in his office in Abuja.

Yakubu said “You have taken a bold step by agreeing to use the technology that has changed elections in Nigeria believing that the technology will also change local government elections not only in Kaduna state but in Nigeria.

“We need to get the local government elections right just in the same way as we have gotten the national elections right and we should continue to strengthen the processes and the procedures.

“So, anything that INEC can do to add value to local government elections, I assure you that INEC will do so,” Yakubu said.

He commended Kaduna SIEC for considering the use of technology in its forthcoming local government’s election in the state.

He assured the Kaduna SIEC of INEC’s supports ahead of the state’s election, stressing “We will be very happy to support the Kaduna SIEC, we believe that the card reader has revolutionarized our elections and the standard INEC has attained is replicated at the state level.”

He, however said that INEC could not make any commitment in conducting a fresh CVR in Kaduna before its election as the commission was planning to have a national CVR which may not be before the state election.

Yakubu nevertheless ordered that a committee comprises of members from INEC and Kaduna SIEC be set up to work out the modality for the support.

Dikko-Audu, in an earlier remark, stated that the Kaduna state would require certain assistance from INEC to make the election free, fair and credible.

She outlined some of the support to include the need for INEC to provide the state with voters register, card readers and if possible conduct a fresh Continuous Voter Registration in the state before the election.

“Then the issue of the uncollected Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).We will not like as much as possible not to disenfranchise anybody from discharging his civil responsibility.

“We will like to know if it is possible for cards that have not been picked up and for those who have been registered but their cards have not been printed to have their cards available to use before the election.

“We also expressed the possibility of using the ballot boxes and polling bolts that were used during the last general elections available to us.”