BEVERLY HILLS, December 21, (THEWILL) – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is fully prepared to conduct free, fair and credible elections in 2019.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, said this while briefing reporters after meeting with the Northern Traditional Rulers Council in Kaduna State.
According to him, the electoral body is not just ready for the general polls but is better prepared than it did for the 2015 elections.
The INEC boss said, “Let me assure the nation that we are really truly prepared for the elections. We started the countdown long time ago.”
“With 58 days to the elections, with 50 per cent of the activities outlined in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities; we are actually better prepared for the 2019 general elections than at a comparable time in 2014 for the 2015 general elections.”
“We are fully ready for the elections,” Professor Yakubu stressed.
He also spoke about the controversy in some political parties over names of candidates submitted to the commission ahead of the polls.
Some of the parties recently hit by such controversy include the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), among others.
The INEC chairman said although it would be wrong to talk about the issues that were already in court, the electoral body would only recognise those validated by the court.
He disclosed that INEC issued two Certificates of Return on Tuesday, in line with a court order in respect of state and federal constituency elections in Delta and Anambra states respectively.
“We have always obeyed court orders, we will continue to obey court orders,” Yakubu said.
“This INEC has a record of absolute obedience to orders of court and will continue to obey court orders going into 2019.”
The INEC chairman insisted that it was for the court to determine a case, while the commission has a responsibility to comply with the order of the court.
This, according to him, applies to Zamfara and other states where there is litigation.
Professor Yakubu explained that INEC would continue to comply with court orders as cases progress and once it is determined by the Supreme court, that would be the end of such litigation.
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