Gov’ship polls: CODE urges INEC to decentralize operations

The Connected Development (CODE), an accredited local observer for this year’s General Elections, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to decentralize its activities to ensure the success of the March 9 governorship and states house of assembly elections.

The Head of Mission, Election Observation Team of the organisation, Hamzat B. Lawal, said in the observation report of the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections that this is also to avoid logistics and operational challenges.

Lawal commended INEC for remaining firm despite pressures from political actors to truncate the electoral process and ensuring that the will of Nigerians prevailed.

“But CODE suggests that in order to enhance confidence in the election process, INEC’s complete autonomy must be strengthened to ensure it provides more effective and objective electoral process. We seek to see an INEC that is decentralized to avoid issues of logistics and operational issues.

“We, however, commend INEC, for allowing the will of the people to be heard, and for remaining firm on her duty regardless of pressure from political actors that want to truncate the electoral process,” Lawal said.

He, however, chided INEC over its poor level of preparedness to conduct violence-free elections describing it as “disheartening”.