INEC gives NUC conditions for selecting election officers

…Commission now joined in 1,241 cases

The Independent National Electoral Commission has given the National Universities Commission conditions for picking academic staff as election officers in the forthcoming elections.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, stressed that without the involvement of tertiary institutions, especially the universities, the Commission would find it extremely difficult to conduct credible elections.

He stated this at a meeting with Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities in Abuja on Thursday.

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Yakubu noted that a total of 23,258 academic staff would serve as Collation and Returning Officers, noting that they would however be selected on conditions.

He said, “We will engage 23,258 personnel as Collation and Returning Officers. It is for this reason that this meeting is crucial. We need the support of our universities to source the requisite number of suitable academic staff of impeccable integrity who must also understand that this is a call to national service.

“As in previous elections, we have requested each university for a specified number and category of academic staff as contained in my letter to the Vice Chancellors. I must warn that staff who are card-carrying members or have participated in partisan politics should not be nominated. Similarly, those who may not be involved in partisan politics but are known to have obvious political leanings should not be nominated. Furthermore, those who have been convicted of electoral malpractice must be excluded.

“The Commission will carefully scrutinise the list which must be submitted confidentially in the manner prescribed by Commission in my letter to the Vice Chancellors. Like all election duty personnel, each Collation and Returning Officer will swear to an oath of neutrality.

“The Commission always appreciates the support of the Vice Chancellors and the continuing partnership with the federal universities, often under strenuous circumstances. We shall continue to work together in our collective effort to consolidate our democracy.”

Earlier, the Chairperson, Committee and Vice Chancellor, University of Benin, Prof. Lilian Salami, pledged the readiness of her members to contribute their quota to national development.

Afterwards, Yakubu who met with the executive committee members of the Nigerian Bar Association, noted that the NBA was one of the accredited observers for the election, urging them to continue to file post-election reports to the commission.

According to him, the commission is now joined in about 1,241 pre-election litigations, lamenting that the figure keeps increasing.

The INEC Chairman noted, “Parties have conducted primaries and submitted names of candidates to INEC but some of the cases have gone to the Federal High Court, some before the Appeal Court and some even before the Supreme Court.

“On pre-election litigations alone, INEC has been joined in1,241 cases. These were not elections conducted by INEC but each time they (aspirants) go to court, they join the commission. Out of these cases, over 300 are before the Court of Appeal and 155 before the Supreme Court as of Monday last week.”

“What is good about the NBA is that at the end, it submits reports to INEC at the end of the election. Don’t underestimate the reports you file because they assist us in proposing reforms to the National Assembly each time there is an opportunity. So, we don’t accredit observer groups just for the fun of it.”

The NBA President, Yakubu Maikyau, noted that free and fair elections could only be achieved if the people were allowed to make their choices of leaders and had confidence in the electoral body saddled with the responsibility of conducting the elections.

Maikyau said, “With the good work you have done in the commission, you have earned the confidence of Nigerians as an umpire properly positioned to deliver a free, fair and credible election.

“If the process of the election has any question mark, or the person saddled with the responsibility cannot be trusted, it will mar the outcome of the exercise.

“The NBA is solidly behind you. We will not allow anything that will derail your assignment or threaten your independence. If there is anything or anyone that threatens your independence, call on us and we will be there to assist you.”