2019 elections: We believe in the credibility and neutrality of INEC - FJP
- The Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) says it is confident in the credibility of INEC as the 2019 general elections approaches
- The party said the preparedness of the electoral commission to conduct free, fair and credible elections is not in doubt
- According to the party, the present INEC remains one of the most neutral and unbiased umpire in the history of the electoral body in Nigeria
The Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) has said that the credibility and preparedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free, fair and credible elections in the forthcoming 2019 elections is not in doubt..
The national chairman and presidential candidate of the FJP, Dr. Abraham Breakforth, said this on Tuesday, January 15 in Abuja at the end of the party's National Working Committee (NWC) meeting and maiden state of the nation address.
According to Dr. Breakforth, those opposing the commission have no business participating in the coming elections.
He said the party is convinced that the commission is the most improved institution in the country, as such the present INEC remains one of the most neutral and unbiased umpire in the history of electoral body in Nigeria.
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His words: “We believe in the credibility, neutrality and commitment of INEC to steer the 2019 process to a logical conclusion without any manipulation whatsoever.
“Our party FJP has gone through the entire guidelines as released by INEC and had found it credible and proactive for a successful conduct of 2019 election in 2015.
“INEC then introduced accreditation before voting, which led to the disenfranchisement of over 45 percent accredited voters. Out of 66 million registered voters nationwide in 2015 and 43 million accredited and only 28 million return to vote.
“The question is where are the remaining 15 million accredited voters, it makes it cumbersome, many will be on the line for long time to accredit and after leave the centre to return back, while majority will not return, but the 2019 guidelines provides for simultaneous accreditation and voting, it safes times, less cumbersome and no accredited votes will be disenfranchised.”
He added that the issue of INEC collation centre and the controversies involving a national commissioner, Hajia Amina Zakari is needless as she not in charge of collation of results, she is only in charge of the committee responsible for the facility of INEC collation centres at ICC, while the INEC Chairman is fully in charge.
“We plead to all politician not to overheat the polity, the unity and survival of our nation is priority over anybody ambition. If we destroy Nigeria which country shall we govern?
“INEC is doing their best, we should all encourage INEC leadership to carry out their constitutional responsibility instead of name calling and unlawful accusation, let all politicians encourage their members to collect their PVC and come out to vote peacefully. Nigeria first before our ambition,” he said.
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Meanwhile, YIAGA Africa’s Watching The Vote (WTV) has commenced a nationwide advocacy visit to election stakeholders in Nigeria.
The largest citizen movement committed to credible elections in Nigeria, says the move is in a bid to, “share the promises of the WTV project, discuss the deployment plans for the 2019 elections, seek stakeholder buy-in and explore areas of collaboration as well as to provide information on the ongoing pre-election observation across Nigeria.”
This was disclosed in a statement sent to Legit.ng on Tuesday, January 15, by the project director of YIAGA Africa, Cynthia Mbamalu.
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Source: Legit.ng