INEC reaffirms commitment to credible elections

Kano - The Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) on Monday reaffirmed its commitment to the
conduct of free, fair and acceptable elections in
February.
The Chairman of the commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega,
gave the assurance in a paper he presented at a two-day
conference on 'INEC and The 2015 General Elections:
Expectations, Prospects and Challenges' held in Kano.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the
Conference was organised by the Bayero University,
Kano (BUK).
Jega said preparations for the elections were currently
being finalised to ensure that the process was
conducted in accordance with best practices.
''We give assurance that preparations by INEC for the
2015 general elections are being finalised.
''Learning from the experiences of 2011, especially
regarding the need for early preparations, the
commission has undertaken the task of fundamental
restructuring of its bureaucracy.
According to him, the commission has established new
policies to guide its work in addition to embarking on
far-reaching planning of its operations through a
strategic plan.
''As far as INEC is concerned, the 2015 general elections
will see Nigeria take its rightful place in the global
comity of nations where the electoral democracy is
being consolidated,'' Jega said.
He enjoined all stakeholders to contribute their quota in
order to bring about and ensure free, fair, credible and
peaceful elections in the country.
According to him, the call is necessary in view of the
fact that all stakeholders have significant roles to play in
conducting the elections.
In his remark, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof.
Abubakar Rasheed, said the conference was intended to
enrich the on-going conversation on the general
elections by refocusing the discussion to the core
issues of necessity and requirements for credible
elections.
''You will agree with me that any contribution that will
be geared toward making the elections peaceful and
successful deserves to be taken seriously,'' Rasheed
said.
Courtesy: news24
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