By: Sunday Oyewole The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega Friday announced that the supplementary election for Anambra governorship election will hold on Saturday, November 30, 2013.
He disclosed this during a press conference he addressed at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja. According to him, the Commission has reviewed and appraised the conduct of the election and regretted that there were lapses.
However, the INEC boss said, the conduct of the election complied substantially with the provisions of the electoral law in spite of the lapses.
He therefore, said there was no substantial evidence to warrant outright cancellation has been canvassed in some quarters, saying the supplementary election would go ahead as scheduled.
The Returning Officer of the November 16 governorship election had declared the election inconclusive and hinted that a supplementary election would be conducted.
In spite of the lapses, Jega said the Commission was satisfied that the election was free, fair and peaceful, saying “We are satisfied the conduct of the election was free, fair and peaceful and the evidences before us does not warrant cancellation”.
Reacting to a question on the allegation raised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in its petition sent to the Commission which also called for outright cancellation, Jega acknowledged the petition but said it lacked merit to warrant cancellation.
According to him, “We received a petition from APC and I have asked a team to look at it but almost all the complaints that have been made in this petition were repetitions of the allegations already made by the APC candidate.
“So, there is nothing new in the APC petition to warrant cancellation. If the purpose of the petition is to convince us to cancel the election, honestly, there is no evidence to warrant the cancellation”.
He also responded to the incidences of eligible voters not finding their names on the voter’s register, saying those affected did not take to the advice of the Commission.
According to him, ahead of the election, the Commission did enlighten the people of the state on what to do regarding the voter’s register, regretting that most of them did not do what they supposed to do as they made it clear that only the electronic register would be used.
He said, “We publicized what people should do but if people did not do what they should do, it is regrettable”.
On the peculiar incident in Idemili North, the INEC chairman regretted what happened and assured that the Electoral Officer (EO) involved, Chukwujekwu Okeke, has been handed over to the police for investigation and prosecution.
Jega also said that the Commission has commenced internal inquiry aimed at identifying INEC staffs responsible for the lapses noticed, assuring that “any staff found responsible would have to answer for it”.
He therefore, called on the people of Anambra state and indeed all the stakeholders to cooperate with INEC to ensure that the supplementary election is hitch free and concluded as scheduled.
His words, ”As Nigerians are disappointed with the Anambra election; we also as Commission are disappointed with the election.
“The situation in Idemili north is regrettable and we have handed over the electoral officer to the police for investigation.
“All the people involved in the electoral process have responsibility that elections are free, fair and credible”, he said, adding that the 2015 elections would be better than the 2011 elections.
