By Joseph Erunke

ABUJA — CHAIRMAN of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, yesterday, accused political gladiators in the 2015 general election of not respecting electoral laws of the country.

He said one of the major challenges the commission was facing was to see how the political players can respect the code of conduct which they have already signed to keep to.

Speaking in Abuja at the 9th Public Lecture of the Electoral Institute, TEI, the INEC chairman noted that most of the messages politicians were spreading promote hate and violence, saying there was the need for them to pass messages that only promote peace.

While noting that the theme of the lecture, “Youth and electoral violence in Africa: Lesson for Nigeria” was apt, Jega insisted that “the challenge we are facing as a commission is mediating among politicians to respect the code of conduct that they have signed.”

The INEC boss disclosed that the commission would be meeting with traditional rulers to assist in the message of peace just as he said INEC would improve on its voter education programme.

Guest speaker at the lecture and Director, African Leadership Centre, ALC, Kings College, University of London, Dr Funmi Olonisakin, while speaking earlier, advised against deployment of security operatives during elections without properly training them on electoral process.

She said: “As much as possible, security personnel should not be deployed unless INEC has certified that they have received electoral security training.“

Commenting on youth involvement in electoral violence, she advised that competition among the political elite for services of youth and their cooperation for manipulation could and should be mediated by other credible across and stakeholders in society.

She regretted that the level of prosecution in electoral violence in the country was low despite the law enforcement approach, saying the development was as a result of what she simply described as “elite connivance and complicity in electoral violence.”

Dr. Olonisakin urged INEC to improve on the area of voter education, which she noted was very critical.