Last weekend’s presidential and National Assembly elections held in Nigeria have been described as far below the reasonable expectations of the people by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
Its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, in a statement on Wednesday, lamented that the polls were marred by late arrival of election materials in parts of the country, malfunction of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) machines, failure of electronic transmission of results to virtual results viewing portal amid other structural challenges in the electoral process.
The cleric said these flaws were despite repeated assurances from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on its solid preparedness for the polls.
‘These have not only cast a shadow of doubt on INEC’s sincerity to deliver a transparent and fair general election this year, but has also threatened the credibility of the entire system. It is, therefore, important that explanation be given to Nigerians as to why the preventable lapses were not addressed in a timely manner…
‘Ideally, when people vote, the votes should be counted and allowed to reflect in the result the electoral umpire announced. Anything short of that, remains an aberration in any democratic context and contest,’ he said.
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According to Okoh, elections are vital for the country’s stability and democratic consolidation, and so the process must be conducted and concluded safely, fairly, and credibly.
He, however, called for calm amid provocations arising from the shortfalls of the polls. He urged political parties, candidates, supporters and the public to desist from actions that could create needless tensions or stoke any form of violence that could put the country on a precipice.
He specifically asks all presidential candidates to abide by the spirit and letter of the Peace Accord they signed before the elections, reminding them that Nigeria is the only country they have, and that they must do everything to keep it safe, united and peaceful.
The CAN president encouraged all political actors, elder statesmen, eminent personalities in the society as well as religious and traditional leaders to make proactive interventions to calm any tensions and nip signs of violence in the bud.
He, equally, asked INEC to do all within its scope of authority to ensure the will of the people as expressed through the ballots during last Saturday’s presidential and federal legislative elections count.
‘INEC must rise to the occasion in the face of this precarious situation and do everything possible to win back the slipping confidence of the people in the electoral system, especially as the country prepares for the governorship and state legislative polls in 11 days time.’
He reminded INEC that the international community is watching the behavior of Federal Government and its agencies, especially the police, army, and other law enforcement agents to see how far they respect the country’s constitution, rule of law and obligation to act well in playing their roles in respect of elections.
He commended the electorate for the huge number of voter turnout, which is even more than the population of several countries.