President Muhammadu Buhari has tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigeria Police Force to ensure that election results reflect the wish of the people.
The President gave the charge when he hosted INEC Chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu and Inspector-General (IG) Mohammed Adamu, at the State House in Abuja.
While promising to ensure transparent, free, and fair elections by employing all relevant state institutions, Huhari pointed out that democracy is about free will, and the will of the people must be allowed to prevail.
“Those that you declare as winners must be the candidates that the people have chosen. Democracy is about free will, and the will of the people must be allowed to prevail. Get your acts right, and leave no room for underhand tricks or manipulation.”
He also restated his determination to give Nigeria an electoral system that meets with best practices anywhere in the world.
While charging the electoral umpire to stick to the rules of fair play and adherence to justice, he tasked the police to secure the electoral process without bias or favouritism.
“Our elections must be done in a violence-free atmosphere. The process must be free, fair, decent, and devoid of intimidation or malpractices. It is the duty of the police to accomplish that, and it is what I expect in the elections immediately ahead and going forward,” he said.
On their part, the electoral umpire and the police boss pledged fidelity to the rules and regulations, adding that w President Buhari is known as someone passionately committed to fair play.
Speaking with reporters after the meeting, they said the President got their assurance of delivering exemplary elections.
On his part, IG Adamu assured that the police would be using anyone who uses force to achieve his aim in any election to set an example, as it would not give room for election saboteurs.
The INEC boss also said the Commission had set January 25, to conduct of 28 outstanding court-ordered re-run or by-elections across 11 states.
“We met with His Excellency, Mr President, and he reiterated his commitment to ensuring that the processes of free and fair and the environment is secured for that to happen. That was why the meeting was held involving the electoral commission and the Inspector General of Police.
“Essentially, on the conclusion of all the litigations with respect to all the national and state houses of assembly elections arising from the 2019 general elections. So far, 30 elections were nullified by court orders, some in whole state constituencies others in pocket constituencies.
“We have conducted two elections in these elections-Kogi West and Ajaokuta Federal Constituencies. We have 28 elections outstanding spread across 11 states, and the Commission has already fixed 25th of January – that is in the next 19 days for the conduct of the court ordered re-run elections, and we are ready for these elections,” the INEC boss said.
In applying itself to the order by the President to ensure that Nigerians have credible and enviable elections, IGP Adamu added that those acts that jeopardised the credibility of elections in the past would meet a brick wall in the future.
“The government wants to have an election process that is equal to none in terms of example that could be given to the world so that free, fair and credible elections will take place and for that reason, there must be a secure environment.
“In securing the environment, the security strategy that was in place in the previous elections has to be reviewed, has to be enhanced to have an election that violence will not be tolerated, ballot snatching will not be tolerated.
“Those that usually participated in such actions like the politicians, security agencies, the INEC officials, and any other group that partakes in that, this time around, they will not be allowed to do that.
“We shall make examples of anybody that wants to use violence to achieve his aim during the electoral process. This is the message that we are sending to Nigerians, and this is the beginning of the process to make sure that this country from now onwards gets elections that is exemplary to the rest of the world.”
