Inconclusive polls in Imo: Fayose says INEC a threat to Nigeria’s democracy

The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has condemned the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, over its handling of elections in the country.

According to the governor, since the advent of the All Progressives Congress, APC, government of President Muhammadu Buhari, INEC had not been able to conduct any credible and conclusive election.

The governor stated this while reacting to allegations of manipulation of the Imo North Senatorial election, which was declared inconclusive.

Fayose said: “Democracy in Nigeria is threatened by INEC and this should call for national and international reflection.”

The governor, in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, further said: “If we have done more than 15 elections since President Buhari assumed office and all ended inconclusive, it is obvious that we are tending towards anarchy.

“It is becoming very clear that votes of Nigerians are no longer allowed to count under this APC government and one wonders if President Buhari would have been elected if the system then did not allow free and fair elections.”

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The governor called on Nigerians to be more concerned with institutionalising democracy than the issue of who wins election.

“The only duty the APC government owes Nigerians is to allow for a system that will make them to be able to elect their leaders freely.

“This system was created and allowed to flourish by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government. The APC, which is obviously desperate to hijack power at all levels through open manipulation of the electoral process must know that preventing people’s votes from counting is a clear invitation to anarchy.

“As it is, APC stalwarts are using security agents to unleash violence on Nigerians during elections because they know that the president won’t lift a finger provided his party members are the ones perpetrating electoral evil.”

Counseling the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on the need to maintain the image of the electoral body he met when he resumed office, Fayose urged him to ensure that INEC is mindful of its importance to the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria. This, he said can only be so if the electoral body maintains its independence and impartiality at all times.

“Nigeria was already getting that important aspect of democracy, which is election right before the advent of this APC government and the government, especially INEC should be mindful of what history will present concerning them,” said Fayose.

By Timothy Enietan-Matthews

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