Barely two weeks after the conclusion of elections in Plateau State, stakeholders in the state on Monday advised the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure timely preparations towards a more credible general elections in 2023.
The stakeholders also said their effort is to ensure that credible elections are conducted in 2023 devoid of complains that trailed the recently concluded polls.
They gave the advice during a Post-Election Community Dialogue Meeting organised by the Centre for the Advocacy of Justice and Right (CAJR) in conjunction with International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES), with support from UKAID and USAID, held in Jos the State Capital.
During the meeting participants who were from community and religious leaders, PWDs, CSOs, the Media, and security agents; identified poor preparation on the part of INEC, failure of smart card readers, vote buying, under-age voting among other major hiccups faced during the just concluded general polls, and called for a total overhaul of the electoral system.
According to the Programme Officer, Plateau Chapter of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JNAPWDs), Bulus Shanding, called for the inclusion of the persons with disabilities in the electoral process.
Shanding commended INEC for modalities put in place to ensure the PWDs participated in the just concluded polls, but decried that the arrangements were inadequate, a situation that hindered many PWDs from performing their civic responsibilities.
“No doubt INEC did well in giving the PWDs first class attention during the just concluded general elections compare to previous ones, but it was not enough as most of our members were disenfranchised.
“So, my call on INEC is to ensure the PWDs are carried along during the 2023 general elections because they are also part and parcel of the society and have the right to vote and be voted for,” he said.
Also speaking, an Executive Director with Civil Liberties Organization and a Public Affairs Analyst, Comrade Steve Aluko, called on the electoral umpire to begin building a more sustain synergy with relevant organisations and engage critical stakeholders at all levels to ensure free, fair and credible polls come 2023.
Aluko also called for a total reform of the electoral Law in order to address some loopholes that often charaterised the electoral process.
The Public Affairs Analyst also lamented late preparation by INEC and called for timely approval and release of budgetary allocation of the commission to enable it prepare adequately for the polls.
“For us to have credible and successful elections in 2023 there must be total overhaul of entire electoral system in Nigeria.
“INEC as an electoral umpire must begin to build and sustain strong synergy with organisations, both government and private, and critical stakeholders at different levels to ensure a peaceful and successful polls.
“Government must ensure timely approval and release of the commission’s budgetary allocation to enable it prepare adequately for the task of conducting free, fair and credible elections in the country.
“So, the right time for INEC to prepare for 2023 elections is now, not “three months” to the conduct of the polls,” Aluko advised.
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