Elder statesmen ask INEC to correct lapses before gov’ship elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been tasked to rectify all the lapses observed in the February 25 national elections and use the same to conduct hitch-free state polls this Saturday.

The call was made by a group of elder statesmen on the aegis of The Compatriots.

In a post-election statement signed by its Chairman and former Governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, the group applauded Nigerians for their enthusiastic and orderly participation in the just-concluded national elections and urged them to sustain the tempo in the forthcoming state polls.

“It is clear that a lot of work needs to be done to restore confidence in the systems and processes of INEC.

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“With the State-level elections holding this week, it is very important that all faulty systems and processes of INEC be rectified; that all preparations, as well as provision of security, are seriously addressed,” the statement read in part.

The socio-political and good governance advocacy group, however, expressed grave concern over reports of violence in some parts of the country as well as “the adverse impact of election management which left much to be improved upon because of the process gaps and lack of transparency during the collation of the results”.

Obong Attah noted that mass participation of the youth in the electoral process remains an encouraging development for the political future of the country.

The Chairman commended aggrieved presidential candidates for exploring the legal window to challenge the outcome of the result.

The group said much work was needed to restore confidence in the systems and processes of the electoral body, even as it called on Nigerians not to despair, remain law-bidding and go out in large numbers to exercise their rights to elect their leaders and representatives during the March 11 state elections.