UN pledges support to INEC on capacity building

The United Nations, (UN) has pledged  support to the Independent National Electoral commission, (INEC) on building of technological capacity and sustain same for improved conduct of elections in the country.

The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guteres spoke in Abuja Wednesday while on a courtesy visit on INEC chairman, Professor Mahmud Yakubu where he emphasised the need for the commission to embrace technology which has been accepted the world over as a measure for the conduct of free and fair elections.

Represented by the special representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Mr Mohammed IBN Chambers,  the UN scribe acknowledged the efforts by the commission to improve elections in the country.

He said the commission’s current leadership should be taken as a model for nations under the West African sub region.

He commended INEC for announcing election dates for the general elections way ahead of the scheduled year which is 2019 as well as the number of registered voters in the ongoing Civic Voters Registration (CVR) exercise.

He noted that the inclusion of the internally displaced persons in the country can not be over emphasised.

On Ekiti and Osun governorship elections coming up next year, he said will be another trial match for the commission, given that it’s outcome will be a reflection of the general elections in 2019.

Yakubu assured the UN visiting team of the commission’s comtiment to sustaining democracy in the country and the region at large.

He pledged the election monitoring body’s resolve to partner with a regional body, ECOWAS network of electoral commissions, ECONEC to improving on elections adding that it is better and easier to monitor elections than deploy the regions military force, ECOWAS when elections are deemed to be flawed.

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