Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah has said that the imposition of candidates by godfathers or the incumbent simply heats up the polity and kills free and fair elections in the country. Kukah made this comment at the National Stakeholders’ Forum on Elections, organized by the Civil Society Situation Room with the theme, “Achieving the Implementation of Credible 2015 General Elections” held in Abuja. He also said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cannot conduct credible elections in Nigeria under the present polity. Bishop Kukah noted that the nation had not undergone a transition of any surgical quality that would have enabled the engine of democracy move with appreciable speed. “We have not developed a culture of succession. This is why, we have a system of government by the corrosive poison of anointing, a strategy that merely seeks to perpetuate a culture of the domestication of rent seeking. INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, who also spoke at the event, admitted that the electoral body alone could not conduct credible elections without other stakeholders playing their own roles well. He added that INEC was fully ready for the 2015 general elections. Presidents, Governors are all determined to install their own favourite or their godson and daughters as we see in the land. By forcing candidates, sitting Presidents or Governors simply heat up the system and frustrate outcomes in elections by contriving outcomes. “Credibility of electoral processes is clearly a combination of many factors. The rules of engagement, the extent to which the actors understand the rules and are prepared to play by them, the institutions and those who manage the institutions, the observers and so on, all must have a common spelling credibility. “INEC cannot bring out credible elections in Nigeria if Nigerians do not want credible elections. If Nigerians want credible elections, INEC cannot stop them. Only Nigerians, who have sown the seeds of credibility can benefit from a credible election”, Kukah stated. Speaking on the readiness of the electoral body, Jega stated that INEC had created a new and updated voters register as against what was used in 2011. He added that unlike before, ballox boxes for each polling booths will be numbered to aid accountability and transparency. Jega further revealed that ballot papers will be serialised so as to know how many ballot papers will be taken out and how many that will be returned at the end of the elections. He added that the colour of ballot papers will vary from state to state and Local Government Council respectively. The INEC boss further stated that the result sheets will be customised adding that any lost result sheets will not be replaced and results on such sheets will be cancelled. Furthermore, Jega added that asides Vice Chancellor of Universities that are used as Returning Officers, other professionals such as doctors, lawyers, engineers and retired judges will also be used as Returning Officers in the 2015 elections. Earlier, the Executive Director of Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre PLAC, Clement Nwankwo stated that the forum was an opportunity for stakeholders to share perspectives on the challenges and best practices needed to achieve a credible general elections in 2015.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 06:38:36 +0000
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