INEC Unfolds 2011
Elections Procedures In March
The
Chairman of Nigeria’s election commission, INEC, Professor
Maurice Iwu, has said that details of preparations for the 2011
general elections would be made known to Nigerians by March this
year. He said that the primaries would start in October.
The election commission chairman expressed satisfaction with the
arrangements made by the commission to ensure a hitch-free
governorship election in Anambra on February 6th.
Speaking at a luncheon for bureau chiefs of media houses in
Abuja, he commended the governorship candidates for their issue
oriented campaigns.
Proactive
He said that the commission would apply adaptive management
that will not take rear guard position in the conduct of
elections henceforth.
Iwu said that there had been fundamental changes after the 2007
polls such as the use of ad’hoc staff for elections and the
requirement for voters to form a queue to enable them cast their
votes in an orderly manner.
He added that the there would be serial numbers on cards that
would be known to everybody, saying that a board of independent
monitors had been inaugurated to evaluate the electoral process.
Iwu said that board was fairly represented and could disown an
election result.
Anambra as litmus test
Professor Iwu said that there was nothing wrong with
aggrieved candidates going to court to seek redress.
’’It has been all talk and talk. We want to sustain the momentum
because we want an election where even the loser will accept the
result,’’ he said.
On the commission’s funding activities, Iwu said that the
commission had special funds for electoral processes, which are
not deployed for other purposes.
On accusations of favouring some candidates, Iwu said that there
was nothing he could do to favour a candidate as the power to
announce election results resided in the state electoral
commissioner.
NAN/Yinka
