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Ozekhome, Jerry Gana, others charge INEC on credible polls

By Joke Falaju, Abuja
18 October 2022   |   4:03 am
Some prominent Nigerians have tasked Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure all votes count during the 2023 general elections.

INEC

Some prominent Nigerians have tasked Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure all votes count during the 2023 general elections.

They include human rights and constitutional lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome; a former Information Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana, and the General Overseer of Charismatic Renewal Ministries (CRM), Dr. Cosmas Ilechukwu.

Ozekhome, who questioned how an INEC chairman appointed by the current government would remain unbiased, stressed that Nigerians are anxious of witnessing a credible election.

Speaking in Abuja, yesterday, at the 11th edition of the Change We Need Lecture Series, organised by Charismatic Renewal Bible Ministries, the senior lawyer expressed doubt that any of the candidates, and the chairman of INEC, could solve Nigeria’s problems.

He stressed the need for increased voter education and advised that the country should have a system where eligible voters can vote anywhere, irrespective of where they registered.

“Voter registration should be a continuous exercise. Although INEC has stopped it, I have gone to court to challenge that,” he said.

He also called for the establishment of a special court to try electoral cases.

Gana, on his part, said: “To have a good election, we must have an independent electoral umpire. Our electoral commission must be independent. They must not be ruled or governed by anybody. They must be able to give a free, fair and credible election.”

Okechukwu, in his paper presentation, noted that the success of the coming election would depend on the electorate, INEC, security agents, political parties and their candidates, electoral tribunals and courts, the Federal Government, the mass media, civil organisations, and ultimately God.

He called on law enforcement agencies to ensure adequate security before, during and after the polls and urged political parties and their candidates to conduct themselves in a manner that guarantees peaceful and credible elections.

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