A former Nigerian Minister of the
Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El Rufai,
has criticized the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC). Mr. El
Rufai, a former official of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) but now Deputy
General Secretary of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), said he has no
confidence in INEC’s ability to conduct
free and fair elections in Nigeria.
Last Saturday, Mr. El Rufai was detained
in his hotel room in Awka, the capital of
Anambra State, and prevented from
going out to monitor the governorship
election in the state. Speaking in a
telephone interview with SaharaTV’s
Omoyele Sowore, the former minister
said unless INEC stepped up its game,
there would be major problems in the
2015 general elections.
“I don’t have that confidence. I think
that INEC has a lot of work to do to be
able to organize free and fair elections
in Nigeria,” he said. He cited the recent
Delta senatorial by-election and the still
unresolved Anambra State gubernatorial
election as instances where polling was
marred by logistical crises, including
bungled voters’ registers.
He said political parties were willing to
offer a hand of support to INEC to
ensure a clean electoral process in future
elections. “We as political parties are
willing to work with INEC to address
these problems because we all want the
election to be free, fair and credible and
we want our democracy to succeed,” he
stated.
Commenting on last Saturday’s
governorship election in Anambra, Mr.
El Rufai decried irregularities in areas
considered as strongholds of the APC.
“Anambra Central is the stronghold of
the APC. Governor Ngige has very, very
strong support there. And what we have
seen as a trend, which we knew about,
and raised alarms [about] even before
the election was the APGA and PDP’s
strategy of ensuring that, in areas where
we are strong, election material and
electoral officers do not appear until it is
too late,” he said.
He added that, in spite of the many
challenges confronting the electoral
process, he was confident that his party
was headed for victory.
The former right-hand man to former
President Olusegun Obasanjo also spoke
on his detention, describing it as “illegal”
and “unlawful.” The news of his
detention first broke when he tweeted, “I
intend to discharge my duties today no
matter what, and will go out when
ready. I will dare the SSS to shoot…we
wait and see…”
Shedding light on his ordeal, Mr. El Rufai
said he was having dinner at the Finotel
Hotel where he was lodged when an
officer of the State Security Service (SSS)
showed up accompanied by AK-47 toting
police officers and demanded to speak
with him. He said the officer told him
they had been sent to “protect” him, but
that he declined their offer, telling them
that he did not need their protection,
adding that he was comfortable with his
own security arrangement. The
policemen left only to show up again the
next morning, this time telling him they
had instructions from Abuja to confine
him to his hotel room.
He said he tried again to leave the hotel
around 3 p.m. on Saturday, but the
security personnel blocked the hotel’s
exit with a vehicle. At the time of
speaking with SaharaTV, however, Mr. El
Rufai said the security agents had been
removed, but stated that he had yet to try
leaving his hotel room again for the APC
situation room.
He also told SaharaTV that the Deputy
Inspector-General of Police, Operations,
had also attempted to withdraw a
policeman who had been detailed by
Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State
to guard him. “The only security that I
had that I had confidence in was this one
policeman and if he leaves I would be
left with gun-holding SSS men that could
shoot me and claim that I attacked
them,” Mr. El Rufai told SaharaTV.
The former minister said the people of
Anambra State deserved commendation
for their orderly conduct during the
governorship election.

where u given approval to monitor election,if u want to monitor election there are lay down rules on how to apply to if u where not given an approval mr rufai u are on your own

The last Anambra election was a disgrace to Nigeria. Only one state o! They had to conduct another election on Sunday and also go for a supplementary election at a yet to be announced date. What a shame to say the result is inconclusive. Even Jega accepted some of his men had been compromised and handed to the police. I am worried about 2015. I have no confidence in Jega but more worrisome is the do-or-die attitude of our politicians.

For PDP to come out and defend the election is laughable. When their candidate openly called it a charade and could not even find his own name on the register, neither could he find the names of his immediate family. It just shows PDP headquarters colluded with APGA to sell Anambra to APGA in return for APGA's support in 2015. This is really worrisome and we can see what 2015 will be like!

Mr. Rufai yu don't to hv confidence in INEC.
Continue lamenting and whining cos that has become de 'Normal' of APC when they lose elections.
I'm yet to hear dat the other places result were announced, that there were irregularities.
Losers will continue to cry.
Jus hope Tinubu will give Ngige part of Lagos to govern if they like him dat much.

And INEC does not have confidence in you either, El-rufai thinks that his opinion in Nigerian politics matters anymore?

Who cares what this midget has to say

I thought the day of the election, El Rufai said APC were in the lead. I don't know how old men will take transport from Abuja to Awka and sit down on a chair and be lying via twitter.