By Valentine Amanze
The People Democratic Party (PDP) Vice Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the police, and other security agencies and organizations to see the Kogi and Bayelsa states elections on Saturday as opportunities to redeem the bartered image of Nigeria.
He said that Nigeria was regarded worldwide as a country incapable of conducting free and fair elections.
Obi spoke during the 7th anniversary lecture of The News Express at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
Recalling the gains Nigeria recorded from the conduct of elections during the Jonathan administration, Obi said that it restored the hope of Nigerians on elections as a means of freely expressing their franchise as against what he called “return to kangaroo election marred by violence and all that was vile” as recorded during the last election.
Obi insisted that free and fair conduct of Saturday’s election would restore hope to the country, stressing, “It would also encourage well-meaning Nigerians to join in the future elections. “As has become the norm in many countries, the issue of electoral malpractice is becoming a thing of the past. As the giant of Africa, Nigeria ought to be showing example to other African countries by encouraging free and fair election and allowing candidates with the highest vote cast to emerge winners.”