Electoral bodies should be subjected to public scrutiny, says INEC boss

Kebbi receives four petitions on primary polls

National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has stressed the need for election management bodies to be subjected to public scrutiny, ensure transparency and build public confidence in the conduct of elections.

Yakubu, who spoke during a one-day INEC-Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) dialogue organised by the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) in Enugu, said this had become necessary since elections are funded and conducted with public funds.

The INEC boss, represented by the National Commissioner, Mr. Festus Okoye, stated that subjecting the activities of the electoral bodies to public scrutiny would further enhance their performance and expose them to challenges of managing the sector.He asserted that the commission was poised to conduct free and fair elections next year for the sustenance of democracy and strives to be one of the best election management bodies in the world that meets the aspirations of the Nigerian people.

“We would want the Civil Society groups to use this wonderful opportunity to interrogate and proffer solutions on a wide number of issues, such as vote-buying, internal party democracy, and more especially gender inclusiveness and People with Disabilities (PWDs) representation which have consistently remained low in spite of the efforts of the Commission and other stakeholders. In doing this, you will be adding value to the system and also protect the collective interest of the people you represent,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kebbi State Independent National Electoral Commission (KSIEC) yesterday said it had received four petitions on the just-concluded primary elections across the state.Addressing newsmen yesterday at the INEC office headquarter Birnin Kebbi,

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ahmad Bello Mahmud, who disclosed this to newsmen at the INEC office in Birnin Kebbi, said the petitions were from the National Assembly aspirants.Bello, who said the commission also received 178,928 permanent voter cards from Abuja, urged the electorate to go to their polling units and collect their cards.