The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is positive and focused to deliver better elections in 2015, in spite of the security challenges confronting the nation, especially northern parts of the country.
This is contained in the daily bulletin of the commission released in Abuja on Thursday.
The bulletin quoted Prof. Attahiru Jega, INEC Chairman as expressing the optimism when Dr Serah Sewall, the U.S. Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, led a delegation to the commission.
Jega said that the commission believed that the security agencies would overcome the challenges and provide an enabling environment for the commission to deliver better elections in 2015.
He said that the commission did not under-estimate the security challenges facing the country.
“INEC remains positive that with the efforts of the government and the support of development partners Nigeria should be able to substantially address the situation and create an environment conduce for credible elections, ’’ he said.
The chairman said that the commission was working under the assumption that it would conduct elections in all parts of Nigeria.
“As an Election Management Body (EMB), we will do our best relying on others, especially the security agencies to do their best in terms of protecting the voting environment and mitigating conflicts. ”
He added that in spite clamours for the commission to deploy Card Readers to authenticate and verify Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, it would not do so.
The chairman said the commission would prefer to test pilot Card Readers in bye-elections before the 2015 general elections.
“Using Card Readers during the two elections can generate unwanted controversy,’’ he said.
