Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, has assured Nigerians that his Commission was determined to ensure that the 2019 general elections was better handled than the 2015 general elections.
Yakubu made the declaration on Wednesday while playing host to the new United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington, at INEC headquarter.
“You have noted that the elections were organised and it were of international standard and accepted contrary to situation in the past where there would be protests on the street after elections.
“After the 2015 elections there were jubilation on the streets and this further underscored the achievement of the Commission and the steps that Nigeria has taken towards consolidating its democracy. We appreciate your kind words.
“2015 was a defining moment for Nigeria elections, but we want to assure you that the Commission is conscious of its responsibility and we are committed to making future elections even better.”
The INEC chairman who gave the credit for the 2015 elections adjudged as credible and transparent by the United States to the Nigerian electorate further, enunciated measures being put in place by the Commission ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
Tne of such measures according to Professor Yakubu was proper planning ahead of the electoral exercise. Other steps include clean up of voters’ register, conduct of Continuous Voter Registration in 774 local government offices up till few months before the 2019 general elections.
He also listed the fixing of specific dates for future general elections as well as deepening the use of technology as other steps being taken to improve on the country’s electoral system.
“There is a lot we share in common with the US in term of our democratic evolution. America practices presidential system, Nigeria also practice the presidential system.
“Many people don’t also realise that the Nigeria presidential democracy is second only to the US in term of the size of registered voters.
“As I speak today, Nigeria has 70 million of registered voters, and US is the only country that practices presidential democracy that has more registered voters than Nigeria,” he added.
Before the INEC chairman and his guest met behind closed door, the new United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Symington, commended the achievements of INEC in the 2015 general elections, as he noted that the feat recorded in 2015 had helped Nigeria to play its strategic role within the continent.
He further noted that the 2015 elections was described by many nations as transparent and conducted in an atmosphere of peace.
“So that combination of peace, hope and comfort seems to me a sort of key that is needed going forward.
He however listed good relationship and confidence between the leaders and the followers as some of the key factors required for good governance across the globe.
“No good governance in the world ever comes from the top-down alone; but rather good governance has to come from bottom-up, it has to come from up-down as well as down-top.
“It is like a tree needs many nutrients from both the ground and the sky to grow and prosper,” Symington said.