The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has listed challenges facing the commission ahead of the 2015 general elections.
Jega, who listed the challenges in an interactive forum with the media in Abuja on Wednesday, also said that the recent governorship election in Ekiti State was not militarised.
Listing the challenges ahead of 2015 elections, he said that they included, “Insecurity, funding, attitudes of political class, apathetic and inactive citizenry, delay in amendment to the legal framework, completion of the review of electoral constituencies and polling units and prosecution of election offenders.”
He, however, said that the commission had carried out some reforms, which had led to the success of the Ekiti governorship election.
“These challenges are not insurmountable and we will spare no effort to ensure that aspirations of Nigerians for free, fair, credible and peaceful elections are actualised in 2015,” Jega said.
He stated that INEC carried out the reforms after it reviewed the 2011 elections.
According to him, the review of 2011 elections shows that credible polls require adequate preparations, openness and partnership of all stakeholders.
Jega said some of the reforms carried out by the commission were implemented during the Ekiti State governorship election.
He said that part of the reforms was biometric voter registration, which had enhanced the integrity of voter register.
The chairman stated, “We have rolled out in three phases, a programme of continuous voter registration nationwide. The CVR offers fresh opportunity to get more citizens into the electronic register ahead of the 2015 general elections.
“Unlike the November 2013 Anambra State governorship election, our experience in the more recent Ekiti State election showed that we are making progress in enhancing the integrity of the register of voters.”
He disclosed that the commission had started issuing permanent voter cards to all duly registered voters.
Jega said that the PVCs, which were used during the Ekiti State governorship election, would be “swiped with card readers in 2015 elections to ensure 100 per cent verification and authentication of voters.”
The chairman added that the commission had ensured training and retraining of its staff as part of preparations for 2015 elections.
Another reform, Jega said, was the improved feature of sensitive electoral materials,
These, he said, included serial numbering and colour-coding of ballot papers and result sheets as well as security coding of ballot boxes.
The chairman added that electoral procedures, including pasting of result at polling units and collation centre, were more open during the Ekiti poll.
Defending the deployment of security agents during the poll, he said, “There is no way the Ekiti State governorship election can be defined as being militarised.”
When asked if he would want a similar situation in Osun State, he said, “I want security agencies to do everything possible to secure the electoral process. I want them in particular to protect our personnel and materials.”
He added that security agencies should ensure that there was peace so that people would come out and vote.
Jega also faulted a report that INEC would not conduct 2015 elections in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states because of the state of emergency the Federal Government had declared in the states.
http://www.punchng.com/news/insecurity-funding-threaten-2015-elections-says-jega/

Jega, give us a better and credible election.

If that's the case, then postpone the election till 2019...








...at your own risk anyway

have nothing to say... just came here to read comments...

jega If u cannot install GEJ till 2019 beta resign o

I just hope all these things u re saying will be in favor of gej...
u must b loyal or.......
just ask Nyako to complete d statement

Jega try n do ur best ohhh, no rigging

As if the election will be free and fair in the first instance..

Mtschheeeew

Warlord3000: As if the election will be free and fair in the first instance..

Mtschheeeew

I wonder oOh

Jonah don rig the election before the thing start set so don't worry Jega

The topic sounded as if them politicans have looted the country dry. Anyway, me just want to see a peaceful free and fair election and the ability of the losing party to accept defeat not the one where body parts will be flying and the losing party challenging the winning party to a wrestling, kick boxing or actual boxing in court. I guess you all know the party I mean(I'm not biased o). Meanwhile, I'll be at home watching....wetin concern me, jega and naija politics

Jega jst keep on giving nigerians excuses so that the election wil b postpone till 2019.

Hmm!

Insecurity! Only a fool would not (rather) trust in God's miraculous ways of saving lives.

The question now is that, why is the Card Reader not used for the Ekiti and upcoming Osun elections, thats the $1million question ?...Btw members of PDP have been allegedly going around in every state, giving out fake employment forms, to collect unsuspecting voters PVC serial numbers, so as to clone their PVC before the 2015 elections...By the special grace of God all/any rigging attempt by both paties will surely fail, let people's vote count, thats all we saying, ENOUGH is ENOUGH.

I dont and wil never trust inec.The end of nja has come

Story n no b 2day we don dey hear am.

Where do we register voter's card, if u said it is continous? I believe that in my community, half of them hv not be registered due to small time alloted then.

I doubt if any election will hold next year.

It's better for this country to be like this or disintegrate

Hmm


They should straighten things up now, before the APC will capitalize on that to cry wolf,when they eventually lost out on 2015

IN SUMMARY
its more like; Fellow Nigerians just hope for the best while also expecting the worst.
Because any party that guarantees funds and security for electoral officers during the election is adjudged the winner.

So,they won't be using corpers anymore or what? Will the election affect batch A for Feb/mar...?

They no go give am chance to rig the election.. sir, sorry in advance.

ok

weather there is adequet funding/security or not one thing i know for sure is, me and my family we are not steping outside in the name of casting our vote #period

If Jonathan thinks he can get a second term through the back door, oooooh, he got another thing coming!!!

The idea of postponing the general elections shouldn't be tinkered with AT ALL!!!

Nigeria will be no more before the election. So why bother...

nnamdiugwu: Where do we register voter's card, if u said it is continous? I believe that in my community, half of them hv not be registered due to small time alloted then.

go to d nearest INEC office in your local government.

kk

Jega has nuffn new to say, he's just being jega

Disappoint oga jona in dis osun election and get sack letter

Ask sanusi about sack letter

INEC shd be an independent body then we will have free,fair and no rigging election

But untill then, woteva oga jona said to jega is final

Nobody want to be unemploy

All I know is GEJ till 2019....... APC can nva rule 9ja

Until the process of choosing the INEC chairman has no government interferance, elections will remain a joke.