Jega
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has again told Nigerians to expect deployment of troops during the 2015 general elections, saying their presence in both Ekiti and Osun states prevented violence to a large extent.
INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, stated this while presenting a lecture titled, “Curbing Electoral Violence in Nigeria: The Public Relations Dynamics”, held at the media centre of News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Igannmu, Lagos.
Jega, who was represented by the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos State, Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola said, “What is bad about the electoral process is the fact that politicians have not risen above all the various causes of violence”.
He, therefore, urged politicians not to see the election as a do-or-die affair and appealed to Nigerians to work with them during the process.
Jega stated that: “It is important to note that Nigeria is a country in transition and we are still weaning the political culture from the anti-democratic tendencies that the many years of military rule we lived under, fostered in our national life.
“As a matter of fact, our electoral system is a work in progress, still undergoing reform processes and policy initiatives aimed at refining the system. Such an imperfect system, understandably could not be completely free of violence”.
He said the commission had put in place strategic programmes toward the general elections which are distribution of PVC and improvement of the legal frame work, amongst others.
The INEC boss promised that the third phase of the distribution of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) will soon get to other 12 States, including Lagos and Kano State.
The commission, at the event, enlisted NIPR representative as a member of the State Inter-Agency Advisory Committee on voter education and publicity.
In his remarks, Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Joseph Okonmah called on all stakeholders to conduct themselves and the interest they represent in a peaceful and orderly manner devoid of intimidation, threat and violence.
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