2019: We’re committed to building a functional electoral system- INEC boss

THE Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has said that the commission is committed to building a functional electoral system ahead of 2019 elections based on the policies of fairness, transparency, credibility and impartiality.

The INEC boss made this assertion on Monday at the opening of a strategic workshop organised to review the implementation of the commission’s strategic plan for 2012-2016.

Yakubu, who highlighted the need to reflect on the constitutional and legally-defined responsibilities of the commission as well as analysing the legal and procedural framework for election management in Nigeria, said that the workshop had become imperative as part of the INEC’s strategic plan towards a successful 2019 General Elections and beyond.

This he said include the standards principle, processes and regulations for election management in the country, noting that the objective of the workshop was to do a retrospect and project into what would be better ideas and solutions ahead of 2019 polls and beyond.

“The objective of this workshop is to retrospect and project, in a two-day period, and to come up with better ideas and solutions.

“We need to re-strategise for the 2019 General Election and beyond to come up with practical solutions on how to strengthen the electoral process.

“And this we will do based on the policies of fairness, transparency, credibility, and impartiality,” the INEC boss said.

Prof. Yakubu, who also reacted to the issue of misdemeanor on the part of some INEC officials, declared that no such unprofessional conduct would go unpunished when brought to the attention of the commission.

He said that the commission had administrative processes already in place to tackle all unprofessional conducts by any official.

According to the INEC boss, over 102 cases of arrest made by the police during the Rivers re-run, Edo and Ondo gubernatorial elections were currently in court, saying 62 of those arrested had been prosecuted and given varying degree of sentences.

Meanwhile, Mr Shalva Kipshidze, the Country Director, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), argued that the success of every institution was characterised by the institutions’ willingness to plan.

“As we all know, the relevant nature of a strategic plan cannot be over emphasized as strategic planning is important to an organisation because it provides a sense of direction and outlines measurable goals,” he said.

Kipshidze also used the opportunity to congratulate newly appointed national commissioners of the commission.

He prayed the commissioners carry out their various responsibilities to ensure INEC achieved its mandate credibly.