From Tunde Rahman, Lokoja
The National Commissioner and Chairman Voter Education and Publicity Committee, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Festus Okoye has disclosed that the commission since inception have been operating under a very cumbersome legal frame which hitherto has hinder it’s effective performance.
He added that the many inconsistent judgements on electoral matters have always render the commission in effective.
Okoye who made this known while speaking with media executives in Lokoja, said that INEC as a regulatory body needs a regulatory power to validate most of its actions in electoral processes.
The National Commissioner reiterated that INEC is ready to conduct free, fair and credible governorship and Kogi West senatorial rerun in the state .
According to him, nothing will stop the conduct of Saturday elections in Kogi State, stressing that all non sensitive materials have been delivered at various local government areas of the state and ballot papers will arrive Kogi state any moment from now to show the level of preparedness of INEC.
He added that, “only natural disaster of high magnitude can stop the election, INEC has recruited presiding officers, trained and will be deployed. No presiding officers will come from any higher institution in Kogi State. This Commission has the exclusive right to employ presiding officers from any other part of the country to ensure a credible elections in Kogi State.”
Okoye also noted that all the supporting Resident Electoral Commissioners from 7 states of Kano, Bauchi, Gombe, Rivers , Benue and Lagos are already here in Kogi State for Saturday elections.
News Hub Mag! reports that three national commissioners, Mohammed Haruna, Adedeji Soyebi and Dr. Mustapha are also in Kogi State for the election.
