Electorate hold key to credible polls in Nigeria, says Okonkwo

INEC pledges to fix BVAS failures before FCT poll
Candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in the November 6, 2021 Anambra State, governorship election, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, has declared that the Nigerian electorate deserve support in their effort to make the country’s elections credible.

He said experience from the Anambra gubernatorial poll had convinced him and other Nigerians that voters needed assistance to ensure that the rights things were done in the nation’s polity to guarantee good governance.

Okonkwo, who is also Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of United Nigeria Airlines, made the assertion, yesterday, while addressing volunteers and leaders of support groups in Abuja, saying the journey to deepening Nigeria’s democracy was already getting a huge mileage.

While regretting that the major problem of Nigeria’s politics and governance have shifted from leadership as propounded by the Chinua Achebe, he noted that 70 per cent of the malaise of today’s governance in Nigeria could be traced to lack of credible leadership.

He disclosed that once the governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) failed to reflect the wishes of the people, he decided not to leave his supporters marooned by the excesses of political godfathers, but ensured that voters had choices.

On the outcome of the governorship poll, Okonkwo said that but for the vigorous campaigns and multitude options, it would have been impossible for the election to end on a peaceful note to the relief of the masses.

Okonkwo, who turned 56 on December 5, 2021, expressed delight that the Anambra governorship had shown that elections should not be left to people without visible means of livelihood, stressing that public service should not be an avenue for personal enrichment.

He assured that he would continue to explore ways to make life meaningful for the youths, adding that the United Nigeria Airlines would receive a further boost of more Boeing aircraft in February 2022 to enable expansion of its routes.

BESIDES, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has pledged to address failures of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the Anambra governorship election before conducting the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) council election.

It also assured that it was committed to credible poll in the FCT with the deployment of appropriate technology and innovative tools on election monitoring and support systems.

Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi stated this, at the ongoing INEC FCT Election Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC) Amber Zone Implementer’s workshop in Abuja.

Oyekanmi said the EMSC and the newly introduced BVAS remained critical factors to ensure success in the upcoming council elections in the six councils of the FCT.