The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has reiterated its commitment towards umpiring and delivering a free, fair, credible and inclusive election on Saturday, February 25, for the Presidential and National Assembly polls as well the Gubernatorial and State Assembly polls slated for March 11.
During the reception of the Commonwealth Election Observation Mission on Monday in Abuja, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu assured Nigerians of the commission’s readiness and capacity to facilitate a free, fair and credible electoral process despite the huge responsibility foisted on the commission. The chairman of the Nigerian highest electoral body made the following remarks:
“We are aware of the responsibility that lies on our shoulders, but we cannot do it alone.
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“Our work is clearly cut out with assigned responsibilities for the security agencies, the parties and others.
“As a commission, we have constantly engaged with all stakeholders.
“Every three months, we meet with stakeholders made up of political parties, civil society organizations, the media and security agencies, but we can meet several times a year depending on the issues.
“We are committed to a free and fair process. I want to assure you that INEC is not a political party.
“We don’t have a candidate in the election. The choice of who becomes what during the general election is entirely the choice of the Nigerian people.
“We are committed to free, fair, credible, inclusive election and verifiable elections.
“Elections in Nigeria are huge. We understand the magnitude of the responsibility placed on our shoulders and we also understand that a credible election is a pillar on which good governance rest.
“I want to assure you that we will never let Nigerians down and we will not let the international community down.”
Leading the Commonwealth Election Observation Mission, Thabo Mbeki, former South African President remarked that this is the seventh election the team will be observing in Nigeria, adding that whether the 2023 elections become successful or otherwise primarily depends on INEC and members of the electoral body.
“That understanding on our part is important because, in the end we will make a statement about the election and more importantly, make recommendations about whatever we see in the conduct of this election and give a comprehensive picture of what we see during the election as much as possible,” Mbeki stated.