The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, FCT Council has called for fresh poll in the inconclusive Anambra state gubernatorial election.
The NUJ FCT which had a 24-man observer team in the controversial election observed that a fresh poll would dispel the notion of a predetermined winner and restore the already bruised integrity of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and that of its chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega.
Chairman of the council, Comrade Chuks Ehirim, in a statement on Friday in Abuja, stated: “As an active participant in the November 16, 2013 Anambra gubernatorial election, the NUJ FCT is in a vantage position to observe that unless decisive action is taken in respect to credible conduct of poll in Nigeria, there is little hope that our country’s democratic march will be anywhere near the ideal.
“Our position as a union is also reinforced by the constitutional mandate imposed on the media in Chapter II Subsection 22 of the 1999 Constitution which requires us to hold government and its officials accountable and responsible to the Nigeria people.”
According to Ehirim, the Anambra State poll signposts a significant step or otherwise to other elections in the country, especially the 2015 General Poll, “therefore every constructive step should be taken to ensure the credibility of the process in such a way that the outcome of the process measures up to internationally acceptable standard and confirms to our country’s Electoral Act and regulations.
“To say the least, the fiasco in the electoral process of November 16, leaves much to be desired and exposes the Attahiru Jega-led INEC as incapable of delivering a credible and widespread acceptable process.”
The NUJ chairman expressed regrets that for an election that took months of preparation and perhaps Hundreds of Millions of Naira to execute to fall woefully short of accepted norm, calls for serious concern by all patriotic Nigerians.
“Given that there is a near-wholesale consensus across board that the poll was marred by compromise by INEC officials, a position equally shared by Prof. Jega, Chairman of the INEC, the NUJ calls for fresh poll in order to give each candidate and party a level playing field.
“The NUJ is of the serious opinion that a fresh poll will instil confidence in the electorate, and offer the electoral body a chance to redeem itself from the inglorious outing that is the November 16, Anambra governorship poll.
“Not to order a fresh poll even when it is self-evident that there was grave electoral malfeasance, is to deny the Anambra people the chance to elect a governor of their choice and give an indication that the Jega-led INEC is yet to depart from the infamous history of the commission in electoral fraud,” the statement stated.
He further stated that “the cancellation of results from 208 polling units and less than 25% of the registered voters coming out to exercise their civic duty are enough reason to state that the process was less than free, fair and credible.
“Nigeria cannot continue to dither on a matter so important as its process of choosing its leaders, and the INEC owes every Nigerian the opportunity to have credible, free and fair electoral process.”
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