2015: INEC to release timetable soon
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will soon release the timetable and sequence of the 2015 general election.
Chairman of the commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, disclosed this
on Thursday, when the European Union Managing Director for Africa,
Nicholas Wescott, visited the commission.
Professor Jega told Wescott that like the Anambra governorship election, held on November 16, 2013, the commission would not use the manual and addendum registers in the Ekiti and Osun governorship election, adding that even for 2015 general election, the commission would use the electronic register.
The INEC chairman said though the electronic register was not perfect, the commission had made several efforts to make it credible.
He disclosed that a regiment of continuous voter registration would precede the two governorship elections and the 2015 general election.
Professor Jega further said the commission would use electronic register to conduct elections henceforth, because of the significant improvements visited on it and a court ruling that the commission could only use one register to conduct elections.
He urged Nigerians who had not registered or whose names were not in the electronic register to use the opportunity of the impending exercise to have their biometric to be captured.
Jega said ahead the general election, the commission would create additional polling units, such that they would be decongested, adding that no unit would have more than 500 voters.
He expressed optimism that the security challenges being faced in the country, especially in the North-East region, would be addressed and overcome before the general election.
Earlier, Mr Wescott had expressed the desire of the European Union to ensure that the 2015 general election was transparent and that all stakeholders would accept the outcome.
“We’re keen to ensure that elections next year will be transparent and that everyone will accept the outcome. That the votes will be counted and they will count,” he said.
Professor Jega told Wescott that like the Anambra governorship election, held on November 16, 2013, the commission would not use the manual and addendum registers in the Ekiti and Osun governorship election, adding that even for 2015 general election, the commission would use the electronic register.
The INEC chairman said though the electronic register was not perfect, the commission had made several efforts to make it credible.
He disclosed that a regiment of continuous voter registration would precede the two governorship elections and the 2015 general election.
Professor Jega further said the commission would use electronic register to conduct elections henceforth, because of the significant improvements visited on it and a court ruling that the commission could only use one register to conduct elections.
He urged Nigerians who had not registered or whose names were not in the electronic register to use the opportunity of the impending exercise to have their biometric to be captured.
Jega said ahead the general election, the commission would create additional polling units, such that they would be decongested, adding that no unit would have more than 500 voters.
He expressed optimism that the security challenges being faced in the country, especially in the North-East region, would be addressed and overcome before the general election.
Earlier, Mr Wescott had expressed the desire of the European Union to ensure that the 2015 general election was transparent and that all stakeholders would accept the outcome.
“We’re keen to ensure that elections next year will be transparent and that everyone will accept the outcome. That the votes will be counted and they will count,” he said.
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