Ondo election: Don’t be intimidated, NGO tells INEC
The Human Rights Writers Association of
Nigeria has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission not to
be intimidated by politicians ahead of November 26 governorship poll in
Ondo State.
The National Coordinator of the organisation, Mr. Emmanuel Onwubiko, gave the charge in a statement on Monday in Abuja.
He said that INEC should strive to
ensure that the election was credible and transparent in spite of
perceived intimidation by some politicians and their parties.
He said that the commission cannot
afford to compromise, especially as it already has credibility problems
following complaints from the Sept. 28 Edo governorship poll.
He described the allegation by a
politician, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim, that an INEC official demanded one
million dollars bribe from him as “sensational’’, and urged the
commission not to distracted.
He charged INEC authorities to ensure
that the independence of the commission was not compromised, adding that
it should focus on improving on what happened in Edo.
Onwubiko added that the commission
should not to be cowed by antics of politicians, saying that the
emergence of Eyitayo Jegede as Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship
candidate in the state complied with the Electoral Act.
He said, “By virtue of our extensive
monitoring of the media, there is publication to show that Eyitayo
Jegede is the democratically-elected candidate of the PDP.
“Any attempt by fifth columnists to
stampede INEC into imposing a non-card-carrying member as the candidate
of PDP in the Ondo state election will be futile and unpopular.
“It is imperative that democracy is not
scuttled on the platter of sponsored and orchestrated anarchy such as
introducing someone unknown to members of the party.”
Onwubiko advised that the Ondo chapter
of the PDP should be allowed to pick the candidate who would win the
election for the party.
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