The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega has said that some doomsday predictions made by different quarters especially the international media community about the 2015 elections were proved wrong by the successful outcome of the elections.
Jega said this when he received a delegation led by the Ambassador of Mexico to Nigeria, Marco Antonio Garcia Blanco.
He said “We are indeed very happy that our elections turned out successful and to have been recognised both nationally and internationally as free, fair, credible and also peaceful.
“Leading to the election, some impressions had been created, particularly in the international media as if this may be the end of our country. Thank God it was doomsday prediction which turned out to be false.
“We know that the election has not been perfect; we know that it was better than 2011; but there is also a lot of scope for improvement and that is why we welcome every opportunity to visit other countries to study how their elections are conducted as well as exchange ideas and learn good practices which we can continue to adapt to our own circumstances for continuous improvement of our own electoral process.”
He appreciated the efforts of the Mexican ambassador in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between both countries in sharing electoral experiences.
He said “You facilitated the signing of the MoU which has been very useful while many of our staff have benefited by participating in some conferences. All these experiences have been useful and beneficial and we cherish the opportunity.”
In his remarks, Ambassador Blanco, “Your expertise, knowledge and wisdom will be a great asset to our electoral body. With experience sharing, Mexico will benefit a lot.”
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