By Tony Nyong
UYO — AKWA IBOM State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, has said that only a free and fair election would produce credible leaders to effect the needed positive change in the country.
Akpabio, who spoke at a workshop organised by Civil Society and Human Rights Coalition to mark this year’s Civil Society Week in the state, said his administration was prepared to ensure a free and fair election in 2011 elections, noting that it was under such circumstances that the confidence of the electorate in any administration could be sustained.

Represented by the Special Adviser, Bureau of Political/Legislative Affairs, Otuekong Jerry Akpan, Akpabio said the future of the country depended on those elected by people and not those that manipulated the electoral process to assume leadership position.

He added that he was a product of a free and fair nomination and election because of his antecedents, and pedigree, having served as commissioner for Environment, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs as well as Lands, Survey and Town Planning, while commending the group for taking the initiative to educate the people on the need for a free, fair, credible and reliable elections.

He urged them to take the message to states where people raze houses, destroy property and kill to rise to power. He also lauded the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for instituting a machinery that would enable the country achieve a free and fair polls, adding that the electorate should not negotiate their conscience and future by compromising their rights.

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, said the commission would reinforce and support efforts at combating corruption in campaign funding.

Prof. Jega, who was represented by a national commissioner in the commission, Mrs. Gladys Nwafor, said the commission was determined to enforce the statutory limits on donations to political parties as well as campaign expenses as stipulated in the Electoral Act.

He enjoined political parties to adhere strictly with provisions of the Electoral Act 2006 on party finance and avoid imposing high deposits on their candidates for tickets to contest primaries as this aggravates the monetization of the political process from the party level.

Chairman on the occasion, Elder Bassey Etim, congratulated the Civil Society and Human Right Coalition for organizing the workshop aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s way of conducting credible election, particularly now that the nation was about to witness another transition through election.

Elder Etim who emphasized that the election in the state was the only one categorized as most credible in 2007 charged Nigerians not to wait for INEC alone to do the job, adding that everybody must stand up to ensure credible election.

Earlier in his address of welcome, the chairman of Civil Society and Human Rights Coalition, Comrade Ifot N. Ifot, said plans had been concluded to establish an election monitoring institute in Akwa Ibom to train members of the groups and volunteers on how to monitor elections in Nigeria.