The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has charged its Electoral Officers (EOs) to offer views and criticisms on the recent general elections, saying no poll is perfect.
Chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the call at the 2019 Post-Election Review session with EOs from 19 states, on Monday in Abuja, NAN reports.
Yakubu said that the commission was open to criticisms on the elections from stakeholders, especially the EOs who were not just members of the commission, but took active part in the conduct of the exercises.
He explained that criticisms on the elections would help to improve the country’s electoral process.
“Please, feel free to advise the commission. Where we need to be criticised or criticise ourselves, please do so.
“I consistently say that friends will criticise you, but your enemies will condemn you. But criticism is the basis to make any system work.
“No democracy, no electoral process is perfect. Every democracy is work-in-progress.
“So, feel free to suggest, advise on all issues relating to conduct of elections, on the whole gamut.
“And, you have the protection of the chairman that whatever you say will not be held against you,” he said.
Yakubu commended the EOs for their contributions by carrying out the mandates of the commission.
These, according to him, include registration of voters, monitoring of political parties activities and conduct of elections.
“Preparation for general elections, movement of staff, opening of Polling Units (PUs), co-ordination of PUs activities on election days, reverse logistics, all these activities are heavily dependent on the works of EOs.
“Anything that anybody can say about the conduct of elections in Nigeria is secondary to the kind of information we are going to hear from those who truly conduct elections at levels that matter – the polling units,” he said.
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