Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said addressing the challenge of inconclusiveness in future elections is collective responsibility of all stakeholders and not the electoral body’s alone to shoulder.
National Commissioner supervising Bauchi, Gombe and Yobe states Alhaji Baba Shettima, said this during INEC’s post-election review in Gombe State, on Saturday.
Shettima said the Commission is already working towards improvement of the 2023 general election, and added that nationwide review of the 2019 elections was to get areas were such improvements would be needed.
“It is not INEC alone that will improve elections in the country. Although election is our responsibility but the political parties and other stakeholders must also improve on their ways of doing things.
“For example, something like simple (party) primaries, some (political) parties were unable to hold properly. Things like violence, snatching of ballot boxes and even the lackadaisical attitudes of the electorate toward their fundamental right of voting. It is the responsibility of (political) parties to raise the consciousness of the electorates in the area of coming out to vote as the only way to get good governance.
“Everybody has a role to play. On our part, we are training and re-training our staff, as well as updating our equipment to hold future elections.
“We are ready to conduct more credible elections in 2023 as an improvement on the 2019,” he said.
Shettima also said the outcome of the review, from all states, would be used to get a clear-cut policy for future elections, and added that the exercise would inform INEC of its strengths and weaknesses; from the 2019 general election.
On his part, Gombe State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Umar Ibrahim, expressed confidence that the exercise would bring out the unique areas that needed improvements.