By GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

BENIN – AGAINST the backdrop of the encomiums  being heaped on the Prof. Attahiru Jega-led Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, over its conduct of a free and fair National Assembly and Presidential elections in the country, Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has cautioned that Nigeria was not yet out of the woods as far as the conduct of free, fair and credible elections were concerned.

He said: “I hope that the President and the PDP will know that this does not in any way reflect an approval for the performances of the PDP in the last 12 years.”
Odigie-Oyegun who spoke with Vanguard in Benin yesterday while reacting to the outcome of weekend Presidential election, added: “Yes, I agree that it is one of the best elections so far conducted in this country apart from the 1993 general elections. The process itself was free and fair, but of course, we are all aware of the tremendous amount of resources that went into the campaign.

“The really scandalous  display of affluence and wealth  should be investigated because it looks as if it was only one party that was campaigning. Airtime was monopolized and the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, threw away its neutrality and became the mouth piece of a political party”.

“So, the process was free and fair. In the presidential election, it was relatively better, but we will now wait for the total picture to unfold in the days and weeks ahead.. But you cannot compare it to the last two elections under Obasanjo. You cannot. It is much better.

“I will not say that Nigeria has finally broken the jinx of electoral malpractice or fraud. Don’t forget that the National Assembly elections were not like the presidential one, so, you cannot conclude that because this one was better that every other thing was a mistake.”