Ahead of the November 18, Anambra State governorship election, the Nigerian Senate has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure transparency and credibility in the conduct of the poll.
Speaking through its Committee Chairman on INEC, Sen. Suleiman Nazif, the Senate committee cautioned the electoral umpire against conducting
inconclusive election.
Nazif gave the warning when he led other members of the Committee including Senators Mao Ohuabunwa and Aliu Sabi to an inspection tour on the State commission facility.
He also charged the commission to ensure transparency and credibility in the conduct of poll, saying that the success of the election would serve as litmus test for the 2019 general elections.
“I want the leadership of INEC to ensure that Anambra governorship election is conclusive, free, fair and credible. This is important because the credibility of the Anambra governorship election would serve as litmus test for the 2019 general elections," he said.
The lawmaker said the members were in the state to find out the challenges of INEC in respect to the exercise and to put heads together with them towards proffering solutions.
While appealing to the gladiators in the election to play by the rules to ensure violence free poll, Nazif assured that the Commission would be neutral so that the outcome of the election is acceptable to all and sundry.
The Senate Committee boss also urged security operatives to ensure peaceful atmosphere during and after the election, adding that their presence was important to the successful outcome of the poll.
Responding, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, in the state Dr Nkwachukwu Orji observed that the state was second in the country in terms of the collection of permanent voter’s cards, stressing that the collection of the cards would end on the 15th of this month.
He said the Commission would be deploying one card reader machine per voting point and field technical officers who would handle any challenges arising from the malfunctioning of the card readers.
