•Urges parties, presidential candidates to honour peace accord agreement
By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu has declared that national interest will be put first in the conduct of the 2023 general elections.
This is even as Yakubu urged political parties and their presidential candidates to be guided by the letter and spirit of the peace Accord which they signed last week.
The INEC Chairman spoke yesterday in Lagos at a conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (COCOP) with the theme “2023 Elections: Managing the Process for Credible Outcome”.
Yakubu categorically said that INEC shall not pander to any partisan whims and caprices.
The Commission, he pledged, will discharge its duties with the highest sense of responsibility and integrity.
His words, “I wish to assure you that for us at INEC, the national interest comes first.
“We shall not pander to any partisan whims and caprices.
“We pledge to discharge our duties with the highest sense of responsibility and integrity”, he said.
Continuing, the INEC Chairman said, “I wish to restate once again the commitment of INEC to credible elections.
“Votes will continue to count and will be the sole determinant of electoral outcome.
“For this reason, the Commission has introduced many new innovations, supported by the deployment of appropriate technology, to protect the sanctity of the choice made by Nigerians at the polls ranging from voter registration to voter accreditation and result management”, he said.
Yakubu however tasked members of GOCOP to lead a network or alliance of stakeholders to curb fake news engineered by unpatriotic individuals.
His words, “GOCOP must lead a network or alliance of stakeholders to curb fake news engineered by unpatriotic individuals.
“Fake news is a threat to national security and all hands must be on deck to check it. Managing this process requires in part, concerted efforts.
“We have noticed that your members have so far steered clear of fake news. We urge you to do more.
“GOCOP should come out strongly in the battle against fake news which is clearly a challenge to the electoral process going forward.
“We are happy to note that you have your peer review mechanism using your leaders to regularly remind every member of the need for credible journalism. This is highly commendable.
“We urge you extend this beyond GOCOP to serve as a bulwark against the menace of fake news”, he said.
