The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has again cleared the air on the reason it did not declare winners of National Assembly elections in Sokoto State.
Governor Aminu Tambuwal was among those who contested senatorial election in the state but the exercise was declared inconclusive.
On Wednesday, Retired Maj. Gen. Modibbo Alkali, the INEC National Commissioner redeployed to oversee the state, spoke on the February 25 elections at a stakeholders’ meeting.
Alkali said the elections were suspended after the discovery of some anomalies in the process.
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He said the discovery led to the removal of the state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) among other things.
He promised that the commission would strengthen its system to correct the observed lapses and ensure that the March 11 Governorship and States of Assembly election was credible.
“INEC noticed the abnormalities on time and decided to suspend the Feb. 25 NASS elections in Sokoto State.
”You can see that none of the National Assembly members from Sokoto State has been issued with certificate of return yet.
”The electoral body is reviewing the whole activities with view to correcting and rectifying all the anomalies to ensure free, fair and credible election, ” Alkali said.
He urged political parties and other stakeholders to support INEC toward a hitch free election, saying that security agencies had been mobilised to ensure security of lives and property during the Saturday’s election.
Alkali reiterated that INEC would continue to remain neutral at all times while conducting election to ensure credibility at all times, cautioning Nigerians, particularly youths against violence and election malpractices.
Representatives of different political parties at the meeting, gave their views on how INEC can work toward free, fair and credible election on Saturday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Feb. 25 election was marred by violence in at least 471 polling units across the state.
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