Nigerians expect superlative performance in Osun, Ekiti guber – IPAC charges INEC

By Christiana Ekpa

The Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be mindful that Nigerians are expecting a more superlative performance in the scheduled off-season governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States.

Speaking at the INEC headquarters in Abuja, during a meeting of the commision with National Chairmen of political parties on the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections, the IPAC Chairman, Yusuf Sani Yabagi said “We are in this regard, anticipating more superlative performance by INEC in the remaining off-season elections, beginning with the Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory and later on, the gubernatorial elections in Osun and Ekiti states.”

While commending INEC for its unprecedented outstanding performance in the Anambra state gubernatorial polls, IPAC said it was unmindful of the manifestations of incidents of hitches experienced in that exercise.

IPAC therefore called on INEC to take measures to rectify observed lapses in Anambra, saying “Among others, we noticed that there is the requirement for upgrading the level of the diligence and proficiency of both its permanent and ad hoc personnel on election duties, by way of training, refresher courses and re-orientation.

“There is need for a more robust deployment of logistics and greater performance in the distribution of vital election materials. Very importantly, IPAC is recommending improvement in the operational conditions of all the biometric gadgets in order to reinforce the growing confidence in their use as reliable technological devices for the enthronement of credible and transparent elections.

“There is no gainsaying the imperatives of active and honest support of all stakeholders in our democracy project to enable INEC to more efficiently deliver on its constitutional responsibilities to the nation. It is in the light of this fact that IPAC would want to once again, use this occasion to reiterate its repeated calls especially, to the Executive and Judicial arms of government, to take the issue of adequate appropriation and fundings of INEC more seriously.”

Yabagi also said IPAC is making the appeal for a more realistic funding of INEC against the backdrop of the humongous reduction in the budgetary allocation to the agency in the recently passed 2022 Appropriation Act which in its view, did not reflect  the demands of a robust and timely  preparations for the 2023 general elections.

The Council said beside the significance of ensuring the success of the newly introduced digital gadgets and reforms, the relevant authorities must take into cognisance the challenges posed by the prevailing and pervading atmosphere of insecurity in the country which it said may not significantly abate before the historic elections.

“Perhaps, the most serious and potent impediment to the successful conduct of the 2023 general elections, is the lingering debacle between the Executive and the Legislature on the fate of the 2021 Electoral (Amendment) Bill. While time is dangerously running out for the resolution of the disputes between the two arms, the IPAC is of the position that the controversy may have been contrived in the first instance, purely and clearly in the pursuits of narrow and self-centered political ambitions of some of the gladiators.

“We are therefore, using this occasion to once again make our strident call for the immediate resolution of the unnecessary impasse over the Electoral Amendment Bill in the superior and overriding national interest.

“The IPAC has persistently suggested at various forums that, the first rational step in the circumstance, is for the two apex legislative houses to immediately expunge from the Bill, the provisions that make it mandatory for political parties to use Direct Primary elections in the selection of their flag bearers in general elections.”

Meanwhile, the Council has commended INEC for the support it has been enjoying from the Commission since its establishment twelve years ago till date.

He assured the INEC Chairman and his Commissioners that the newly constituted National Executive Committee of IPAC, is very conscious of the significance of the synergy between IPAC and INEC as partners in the historic endeavour incumbent on the present generation of Nigerians to nurture and deepen the roots of democracy.