Africa looks up to Nigeria on credible polls, says Kenyan electoral chair

 DR Isaack Hassan, Chairman, Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission (IEBC) has said that Africa is looking up to Nigeria to conduct credible polls.

Hassan told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja that Nigeria remain the biggest democratic country in Africa and would need to get it right.

“Nigeria is the biggest democratic country in Africa and it conducted credible polls in 2011 and can do it again.

“We also hope that it will consolidate on the gains of the previous election in 2015,” Hassan said.

The Kenyan IEBC boss explained that the commission under his watch conducted the first general election in Kenya in 2013.

Hassan described the polls, which he conducted, as peaceful, credible, free, fair and generally acceptable.

According him, in 2013, Kenya held six different elections in one day, which included presidential, national assembly, governorship and states assembly.

He said that the commission also conducted elections for special seats for women with over 13,000 female candidates contesting.

He lauded the introduction of the permanent voter cards and card reader machines by INEC as one of the best innovations in Africa’s elections.

Hassan called for synergy between the electoral bodies of Nigeria and Kenya to enable them share ideas on how best to conduct elections in accordance with global best practices.

“Electoral commissions all over the world have got areas where they have done well in elections; so exchange of ideas is always encouraged,” he said.

He, however, expressed optimism that in spite of all security challenges posed by Boko Haram, Nigeria would still pull through by conducting credible elections that would make Africans proud. (NAN)