The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has expressed his disappointment and worry over the incompetence demonstrated by the nation’s electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to conduct credible and conclusive elections in the country.
Fayose in reaction to the alleged manipulation of the Imo North Senatorial election which led the electoral body to declare the process inconclusive noted that the INEC has been unable to conduct a credible election since the president, Muhammadu Buhari assumed office.
He further described the incompetence of the INEC as a threat to democracy, noting that “democracy in Nigeria is being threatened by INEC and this should call for national and international reflection.”
The governor as quoted by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka added: “If we have done more than 15 elections since President Buhari assumed office and all ended inconclusive, it is obvious that we are tending towards anarchy.
“It is becoming very clear that votes of Nigerians are no longer allowed to count under this APC government and one wonders if President Buhari would have been elected if the system then did not allow free and fair elections.” Governor Fayose said Nigerians should be more concerned with institutionalising democracy than the issue of who wins election, adding that, “The only duty the APC government owes Nigerians is to allow for a system that will make them to be able to elect their leaders freely.
“This system was created and allowed to flourish by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government. The APC, which is obviously desperate to hijack power at all levels through open manipulation of the electoral process must know that preventing people’s votes from counting is a clear invitation to anarchy.
“As it is, APC stalwarts are using security agents to unleash violence on Nigerians during elections because they know that the president won’t lift a finger provided his party members are the ones perpetrating electoral evil”.
Fayose further warned the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu to be careful as the image of the electoral body is slowing going into ruins.
Fayose continued: “Nigeria was already getting that important aspect of democracy, which is election right before the advent of this APC government and the government, especially INEC should be mindful of what history will present concerning them”.