“INEC May Not Conduct Credible Elections In 2023” -Chidi Odinkalu Asserts, Gives Valid Reasons
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may not be able to conduct credible elections in Nigeria in 2023, according to human rights activist Chidi Odinkalu from Nigeria.
On Monday, Mr. Odinkalu, a former National Human Rights Commission chair, appeared on Channels TV’s Politics Today from Boston, Massachusetts.
According to Mr. Odinkalu, a lawyer, it is improbable that the electoral commission will be able to hold credible elections while President Muhammadu Buhari is in office.
“INEC May Not Conduct Credible Elections In 2023” -Chidi Odinkalu Asserts, Gives Valid Reasons
“Much to my regret, I don’t think that the current INEC is squaring with Nigerians on being honest. And I really have my doubts as to whether the current INEC can deliver credible elections under the current leadership. I say that with much regret, but I will give you my reason,” he said.
Under Nigerian law, the president cannot guarantee the integrity of any elections. That is not his business at all. For him to say that is a reason to know that INEC is not independent.
“The only entity that has the responsibility to guarantee the integrity of elections is INEC. And INEC has not said a word about the fact that the president has effectively expropriated their responsibility,” Mr Odinkalu stated.
You and I know that the governor of Kaduna State, (Nasir el-Rufai), has written to the president to say that, Ansaru, for instance, is establishing a parallel government, stopping people from campaigning and expropriating and extorting people for taxation in parts of the state. That means that INEC may not be able to deploy election workers in a lot of those places,” he said.
“There are a lot of other places in the North-east, parts of the North-west, in Imo State, indeed in Oru-East, the local government area of the state governor, (Hope Uzodinma). INEC cannot safely deploy its officials in those areas.
“But INEC claims to all of us that it can organise elections and manufacture results from 774 local government areas in Nigeria. That is manifestly untrue,” the legal practitioner said.
