The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Akwa Ibom State has undertaken a number of confidence building measures to enable all stakeholders buy into the process. The commission’s efforts are yielding fruits with old perceptions giving way to prospects of free and fair polls.

By Tom Moses

There is an unusual optimism in Akwa Ibom State that this month’s general election will be largely reflective of the wish of the people. The confidence stems from ongoing meetings, seminars, talk-shops and sensitization programmes carried out by INEC in the State.

The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state Mr. Austin Okojie has been the driving force for the process.

At the various fora, Okojie, a veteran journalist opined that if there was anything that could impinge on the forth-coming electioneering exercises, it would be the political class and not INEC. According to him, INEC would ensure that every vote cast by the electorate counts and as such, candidates of the various political parties like in a football tournament should be ready to play by the rules and accept the outcome of the election in good faith.

To make bold INEC’S determination to be fair, just and unbiased to all the political parties and their candidates, the REC in all the seminars and sensitisation fora explained why rigging or any other form of manipulation would be impossible. According to him, all votes cast in every polling unit would be counted in the presence and satisfaction of all the political parties’ agents and equally announced for the electorate to know and see the exercise as being transparent.

Beyond meeting with the political class, royal fathers, and different umbrella organizations, the REC last week extended its interaction to the leadership of IPAC-Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), a body comprising the leadership of the existing 25 political parties in Akwa Ibom State and charged them to go back home and admonish their supporters against provocative conducts that could lead to violence during elections.

“As we prepare for the 2015 elections, we must do everything possible to promote peaceful conduct, mitigate conflicts and prevent violence because unless we do these, the yearnings of Nigerians for free, fair and credible elections would be subverted.

“It is important to note that free, fair and credible elections do not begin and end with only the procedures that INEC put in place for the conduct of such elections. No matter how well elections are conducted, if the outcome is conflicts-ridden and characterized by violence, it will loose its essence of deepening democracy and it will undermine the credibility of electoral process.

Let me therefore state that in the past four years, INEC has done everything possible to prepare for successful conduct of the 2015 general elections.

“So, be assured that INEC in this state will conduct elections that would be adjudged the best in Nigeria and globally, “Okojie Stated”.

Convinced by the promise by the REC that INEC would indeed be fair and transparent, members of IPAC through its chairman and incidentally, the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Obong Paul Ekpo registered their commitment to cooperate with the electoral umpire to conduct free, fair, credible, transparent and violent free elections.

Electoral fraud

They expressed gratitude to INEC for the various innovations introduced to discourage electoral fraud.

In effect, the promise, sensitization and assurances by INEC and the people trust the electoral commission would not renege in the discharge of its obligations, would not be biased or intimidated, could be the reason behind the robust participation and involvement of many political parties and their supporters in the 2015 polls. It could also be the reason many more individuals who were hitherto apathetic to even going out to register and obtain their voter cards are today making pleas to INEC to once again, carry out voter registration excise in order that they may not be disenfranchised.

Having made his effort in building confidence in the process, eyes are now on Okojie and the commission to see whether they can deliver on their promise.