…urges electorates to support INEC’s efforts

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA- A Civil Society Organisation, CSO, Nigerian Youths for Positive Development, NYPD, weekend, scored the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, high on conduct of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Area Council election.

Speaking with Vanguard, the Convener, NYPD, Comrade Austin Obule, explained why INEC was scored high on the conduct of the elections, which Obule pointed that the electoral process was transparent to an extent despite there were human and technological infractions that cannot be completely ruled out following the magnitude of the election.

According to him, the Chairman of INEC, Prof Yakubu Mahmood, and the FCT INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Yahaya Bello, have proved that the electoral process was transparent, free and fair, which made the opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to win the Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, chairmanship election.

He also noted that AMAC plays host to the Nigerian seat of power where Mr President, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representative, Ministers, Legislators, and National Secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
He said: “The FCT Area Council elections have come and gone, but there have been reports that there were a lot of irregularities including failure of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, and other issues.

“But we in Nigerian Youths for Positive Development, NYPD, commend the effort of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the positive way the Area Council elections were conducted.

“We are all aware in this country how local government elections have been going where the governors will do everything they can to sweep the entire electoral process as far Local government elections are concerned in favour of their candidates and parties, hence not allowing the votes of the people count because they use all their means to subvert the process.

“INEC on several occasions have cried out that politicians and their footmen have been disrupting their job as electoral umpire, even when INEC officials have done what the law establishing them said they should do but only to see another thing announced, and that has led to several litigation.

“INEC is to be commended and not to be bashed and slammed with all kinds of reports and comments here and there. This FCT polls have proven that the Prof Mahmood-led INEC is poised to do the needful at anytime, and the evidence is seen on the opposition party, PDP winning the largest Area Council, AMAC chairmanship position along with Bwari and Kuje Area Council’s number one seats including counselor seats across the six Area Councils of FCT.

“If INEC as some Nigerians and organisations always accused it to be part of election fraud, will the PDP get any votes in FCT polls? Nigerians, we should learn to commend and appreciate INEC because there is no perfect election in any democracy in the world including the United States of America that is the custodian of democracy.

“We want to once a commend INEC Chairman, Prof Yakubu Mahmood and the FCT INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Yahaya Bello, for the feat achieved ahead of 2023 general elections.”