The Chairman of the Independent
National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has listed challenges
facing the commission ahead of 2015 general elections.
Jega, who listed the challenges in an interactive forum with the media in Abuja on Wednesday, also said that the recent governorship election in Ekiti State was not militarialised.
Listing the challenges ahead of 2015 elections, he said that they included, “Insecurity, funding, attitudes of political class, apathetic and inactive citizenry, delay in amendment to the legal framework, completion of the review of electoral constituencies and polling units and prosecution of election offenders.”
He, however, said that the commission had carried out some reforms, which had led to the success of Ekiti State Governorship election.
“These challenges are not insurmountable and we will spare no effort to ensure that aspirations of Nigerians for free, fair, credible and peaceful elections are actualized in 2015,” Jega said.
He stated that INEC carried out the reforms after reviewing the 2011 elections.
According to him, the review of 2011 elections shows that credible polls require adequate preparations, openness and partnership of all stakeholders.
Jega said some of the reforms carried out by the commission were implemented during the Ekiti State governorship election.
He said that part of the reforms was biometric voter registration, which had enhanced the integrity of voter register.
The Chairman stated, “We have rolled out in three phases, a programme of continuous voter registration nationwide. The CVR offers fresh opportunity to get more citizens onto the electronic register ahead of 2015 general elections.
“Unlike the November 2013 Anambra State governorship election, our experience in the more recent Ekti State election showed that we are making progress in enhancing the integrity of the register of voters.”
He disclosed that the commission had started issuing permanent cards to all duly registered voters.
Jega said that the PVCs, which were used during the Ekiti State governorship election, would be “swiped with card readers in 2015 elections to ensure 100 per cent verification and authentication of voters.”
The chairman added that the commission had ensured training and retraining of its staff as part of preparations for 2015 elections.
Another reform, Jega said, was the improved feature of sensitive electoral materials.
These, he said, included serial numbering and colour-coding of ballot papers and result sheets as well as security coding of ballot boxes.
The chairman added that electoral procedures, including pasting of result at polling units and collation centre, were more open during the Ekiti poll.
Defending the deployment security agents during the poll, he said, “There is no way the Ekiti State governorship election can be defined as being militarialised.”
When asked if he would want a similar situation in Osun State, he said, “I want security agencies to do everything possible to secure the electoral process. I want them in particular to protect our personnel and materials.”
He added that security agencies should ensure that there is peace so that people would come out and vote.
Jega also faulted a report that INEC would not conduct 2015 elections in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, which are currently under emergency.
He stated, “We are preparing to conduct elections in every state of the country. We are preparing adequately to conduct elections in every state. Therefore, I have never said that elections will not be conducted in these three states.
“ In the past, I was quoted either wrongly or mischievously that we would not conduct elections in the three states. I never said so. We will conduct elections everywhere in this country in 2015. We will cross the bridge when we get to it.”
The INEC chairman also said that the commission had not fixed a date for the election of a successor to the impeached Governor of Adamawa State, Alhaji Murtala Nyako.
Jega stated that the commission had not met to decide on the bye-election. He, however, acknowledged that INEC must be the election within 90 days of the removal of the former governor.
He added that the person who would be elected would complete the tenure of the person who held the post before.
The chairman said that the commission had prosecuted 200 persons for electoral offences.
He, however, described the figure as “a drop in the ocean” because about one million people were involved in multiple registration.
Jega stated that those prosecuted included National Youth Service Corps members and officials of the commission.
Reiterating his call for the establishment of an electoral offences commission, Jega said that INEC did not have the capacity to prosecute such a large number of electoral offenders.
He said that the commission’s legal department was small and lacked funds to do such a large scale prosecution.
Jega stated that the commission was aware that the Osun State governorship election would be more challenging that the recent governorship poll in Ekiti.
The chairman also described spurious, an allegation that members of a political party in Osun State were denied permanent voter cards.
Jega, who listed the challenges in an interactive forum with the media in Abuja on Wednesday, also said that the recent governorship election in Ekiti State was not militarialised.
Listing the challenges ahead of 2015 elections, he said that they included, “Insecurity, funding, attitudes of political class, apathetic and inactive citizenry, delay in amendment to the legal framework, completion of the review of electoral constituencies and polling units and prosecution of election offenders.”
He, however, said that the commission had carried out some reforms, which had led to the success of Ekiti State Governorship election.
“These challenges are not insurmountable and we will spare no effort to ensure that aspirations of Nigerians for free, fair, credible and peaceful elections are actualized in 2015,” Jega said.
He stated that INEC carried out the reforms after reviewing the 2011 elections.
According to him, the review of 2011 elections shows that credible polls require adequate preparations, openness and partnership of all stakeholders.
Jega said some of the reforms carried out by the commission were implemented during the Ekiti State governorship election.
He said that part of the reforms was biometric voter registration, which had enhanced the integrity of voter register.
The Chairman stated, “We have rolled out in three phases, a programme of continuous voter registration nationwide. The CVR offers fresh opportunity to get more citizens onto the electronic register ahead of 2015 general elections.
“Unlike the November 2013 Anambra State governorship election, our experience in the more recent Ekti State election showed that we are making progress in enhancing the integrity of the register of voters.”
He disclosed that the commission had started issuing permanent cards to all duly registered voters.
Jega said that the PVCs, which were used during the Ekiti State governorship election, would be “swiped with card readers in 2015 elections to ensure 100 per cent verification and authentication of voters.”
The chairman added that the commission had ensured training and retraining of its staff as part of preparations for 2015 elections.
Another reform, Jega said, was the improved feature of sensitive electoral materials.
These, he said, included serial numbering and colour-coding of ballot papers and result sheets as well as security coding of ballot boxes.
The chairman added that electoral procedures, including pasting of result at polling units and collation centre, were more open during the Ekiti poll.
Defending the deployment security agents during the poll, he said, “There is no way the Ekiti State governorship election can be defined as being militarialised.”
When asked if he would want a similar situation in Osun State, he said, “I want security agencies to do everything possible to secure the electoral process. I want them in particular to protect our personnel and materials.”
He added that security agencies should ensure that there is peace so that people would come out and vote.
Jega also faulted a report that INEC would not conduct 2015 elections in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, which are currently under emergency.
He stated, “We are preparing to conduct elections in every state of the country. We are preparing adequately to conduct elections in every state. Therefore, I have never said that elections will not be conducted in these three states.
“ In the past, I was quoted either wrongly or mischievously that we would not conduct elections in the three states. I never said so. We will conduct elections everywhere in this country in 2015. We will cross the bridge when we get to it.”
The INEC chairman also said that the commission had not fixed a date for the election of a successor to the impeached Governor of Adamawa State, Alhaji Murtala Nyako.
Jega stated that the commission had not met to decide on the bye-election. He, however, acknowledged that INEC must be the election within 90 days of the removal of the former governor.
He added that the person who would be elected would complete the tenure of the person who held the post before.
The chairman said that the commission had prosecuted 200 persons for electoral offences.
He, however, described the figure as “a drop in the ocean” because about one million people were involved in multiple registration.
Jega stated that those prosecuted included National Youth Service Corps members and officials of the commission.
Reiterating his call for the establishment of an electoral offences commission, Jega said that INEC did not have the capacity to prosecute such a large number of electoral offenders.
He said that the commission’s legal department was small and lacked funds to do such a large scale prosecution.
Jega stated that the commission was aware that the Osun State governorship election would be more challenging that the recent governorship poll in Ekiti.
The chairman also described spurious, an allegation that members of a political party in Osun State were denied permanent voter cards.
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