As the election train is moving swiftly towards conclusion in the state of Osun on the 9th of August 2014, the framework for the conduct of election must not only be adequate, but must be a departure over conditions which made the opposition to cast doubt on the outcome of Anambra state gubernatorial election and an improvement over the factors which made people to give accolades to INEC over the successes recorded on the processes in Ekiti state. Comrade Mashood Erubami National President,Nigeria Voters Assembly said this in a statement
According to him “This is given the fact that free and fair elections are desirable target which presupposes that the processes involved, concerning a peaceful enviroment , good conduct of the election must lead to righteous and transparent declaration of the result.
“People are looking forward to a fairer and less violent election in Osun notwithstanding the heightening tension in the state looking forward to INEC maintaining its distance from any unwholesome affiliation with any politicians.
“In this wise, the Nigeria Voters Assembly urge INEC to adhere to the following under listed conditions if credible and fair election would be said to have been conducted in the state of Osun.
“INEC must publish the list of its officials with names, contact phone and status in national dailies and on its website for transparency.
“INEC must publish the list of voting areas and polling units throughout the state with contact description and community names to ease navigation and make them accessible to voters and election officials.
Erubami also said “INEC must publish the list of its officials with names, contact phones and status before the election in National newspapers and on its websites for transparency including the list of voting areas and polling units, where election is being conducted with contact description and community names to ease navigation, making them accessible to electoral officials, observers, media, party agents and other stakeholders.
He added “INEC must never be selective and inconsistent in the application of its rules and enforcement of electoral laws and must also re-assure itself and the public that the staff to be deployed to conduct election received sound training.
“INEC must not allow backward slide in the conduct of the state of Osun election in August regarding late arrival of election officials and materials, mass disenfranchisement of voters, through omission or misplacement of names of voters, and absence of voting.
“INEC must strive to be on top of its usual transportation/logistics problem by engaging the assistance of credible institutions, firms and associations. To complement its efforts and no result must ever be declared in a polling unit where election did not take place.
The electoral Commission “must continue to be on top of its usual transportation logistics challenges and must maintain its zero tolerance to politicians with underserved security details loitering around polling units to deter movement of thugs from monitoring the election process. It will help a lot to reduce violence.
“INEC must provide correct number of voting materials and customized ballot papers are adequately available to fastal disenfranchising willing voters.
“Official result forms must be delivered to INEC officials who must be available to fill them at the appropriate centers, while the security of votes must be guaranteed with incidences of underage voting visibly curbed.
“Cases of vote buying and monetary pacification of voters at the polling centres must be discouraged. while disruption of voting process and causing disorder at polling centres must be avoided.
“INEC must continue to embrace inter-agency cooperation to re-direct the electoral processes from being undermined by violence and cooperate with security agencies to ensure that the tradition of causing violence during elections is obliterated, when perpetrators of electoral violence are promptly arrested and prosecuted so that the peace we deserve can be achieved from 2014 to 2015.
“INEC must continue to be neutral as it set its machineries for the conduct of the Saturday election in the state of Osun. In fact it should demonstrate non-partisanship in the conduct of the election to reassure the people that it has learnt lessons from its past in order not to allow a repeat of flawed election in the state.
Erubami said “voters in the State of Osun should come out boldly on the election day to discharge their civic responsibility by voting for their preferred candidate and stay back to defend their votes so that it could count.
“The criticism and doubt being expressed by Nigerians on the ability of the INEC to conduct incontestable election that would be considered free, fair and free from fear would either be disproved or validated by the Governorship election in the state of Osun in August 2014
“In the end, the conduct and outcome of the election must not put the credibility of INEC at stake as only the satisfactory conduct of the election which outcome is credible to the people and the declaration of a winner that won on the popular votes of the people would assuage the feeling of doubts and skepticism among the people ahead of the 2015 elections.
