The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Monday, accused some politicians of engaging in campaign of calumny against some senior officials of the commission in their desperate bid to score cheap political points.
The commission was reacting to criticisms by some political leaders that INEC officials failed to live by the status of the commission as an unbiased umpire.
Speaking through a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Festus Okoye, the INEC declared that its staff members demonstrated clear non-partisanship throughout the elections conducted to fill 1,558 elective offices during the 2019 general election.
The commission wondered why some political actors would resort to impugning on the integrity of its staff members, who staked everything they had, including lives during every election.
While cautioning such critics to desist from such unwarranted attacks, the INEC vowed to resist any attempt to involve the commission in bringing the judiciary into disrepute simply because some elements were not satisfied with the judgment of courts on election issues.
According to the INEC, “The staff of the commission risked their lives, performed under delicate conditions and engaged in electoral operations aimed at protecting the integrity of the process and ensuring credible outcomes.
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“The commission’s code of conduct ensures that all our staff remain non-partisan in the discharge of their official duties. This is the only way they can maintain the delicate balance between all the contending political parties and candidates in the political process.
“It is therefore unhelpful and counterproductive to profile senior staff of the Commission operating in any part of the country and paint them with the brush of partisanship just to score political points.
“Furthermore, the Commission will resist the invitation to be drawn into the debate on the propriety, correctness or otherwise of the decisions of the various Election Petitions Tribunals and the Courts as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) have clearly and comprehensively delineated the powers and areas of jurisdiction of various institutions of our democracy.
“Decisions of courts and tribunal are final and the rule of law dictates that all authorities and persons give effect to them.”
To underscore the non-partisanship of its staff, the INEC noted that it conducted court-ordered re-run elections in 30 constituencies in 12 states of the federation under very difficult circumstances created by the desperation and unwholesome activities of some political actors thereby endangering the lives of INEC staff.
“In the re-run elections in the South East of Nigeria, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) won the election in 2 Constituencies in Abia State. In the three constituencies where the Commission conducted elections in Imo State, the Action Alliance (AA), the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured one seat each,” it stated.
The INEC restated its promise to focus on its efforts and that of other institutions to bring about necessary reforms to give Nigerians comprehensive and robust electoral framework that will take care of perceived and identified flaws and lacunae in the electoral process.
However, it called on parties and candidates to develop the democratic spirit and assist the commission in the conduct of free and transparent elections.
We assure Nigerians that the Commission will remain focused and determined to continue with improvements in the electoral process and solidify the sovereign right of the Nigerian people to freely choose their representatives.