By Aideloje Ojo
Minna
Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) in Niger state, Comrade Mohammed Abdullahi Jabi, has called on the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Attahiru Jega, to conduct elections in the North-east in 2015, stressing that he should not hide under the excuse of security challenges to disenfranchise the people in the area.
Jabi made the call yesterday in an interview with Blueprint, explaining that the statement credited to the INEC boss that election might not hold in the North-east was illusionary and targeted at trampling at the fundamental human rights of the people.
He said the states where state of emergency had been enforced were integral part of the country with high density population that should not be toyed with by the Commission.
He said the 2015 time-table released by INEC whereby presidential election would take place had technical components that could disenfranchise the electorate and encourage rigging in the election. He said: “If the timetable is not revised, it may have social consequences with rigging, violence and apathy on the part of the electorate.
“Also of concern is the statement credited to Prof. Jega that he cannot guarantee perfect election in 2015. In a developed society, such statement is tantamount to foreclosing election prosperity. Jega should resign if he cannot guarantee free and fair election before the bubble will bust.”
Jabi said it was critical to let INEC and its management know that 2015 elections could make or mar the country, adding that it was, therefore, expedient for the Commission to build the confidence of the of the electorate.
