Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has said electoral Commissions in West Africa and beyond have expressed concern about the impact of prevailing insecurity on the conduct of elections.
Consequently, the commission said a 9-nation conference of Electoral Commissions and election experts is holding this week in Ouagadougou involving the host, Burkina Faso, as well as Benin Republic, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo from West Africa; and the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo from Central Africa.
INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this at a meeting with the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) held at the conference room, INEC Headquarters, Abuja yesterday.
Yakubu stressed that the commission appreciates UNOWAS work in the areas of preventive diplomacy, political mediation, and facilitation in West Africa and the Sahel. “These are critical conditions for peace. Election Management Bodies are major beneficiaries of your work. This is because elections and electoral activities cannot be successfully conducted in an atmosphere of violence.
Earlier while welcoming his guests, the INEC Chairman said: “We believe that your visit today will not only encourage us in our determination to conduct credible, transparent, inclusive and verifiable elections but we will also share the outcome of our discussion with colleagues from other electoral commissions in West Africa and beyond.”
Yakubu appreciated their fervent appeal for support for the efforts of INEC to conduct peaceful elections noting that “With just 81 days to the 2023 General Election, we have made tremendous progress in our preparations so far. This is the 7th consecutive General Election since the restoration of democracy in Nigeria in 1999. We are aware of the importance of our elections to Nigeria, our sub-region and the world.
“We assure you that the Commission will not fail the nation and the international community. We will continue to make incremental improvements to our electoral process supported by the deployment of appropriate and relevant technology that will make voter accreditation and result management more credible and transparent.”
