Guardian

SOME politicians have urged INEC to ensure steady improvement in the country’s electoral process before the 2015 general elections.

The politicians called for the improvement in the electoral process in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

A former National Chairman of the Progressive Action Council (PAC), Chief Charles Nwodo, a defunct political party, advised INEC not to live on the successes it recorded in past elections, but should wake up to improve Nigeria’s electoral process.

“We expect INEC to wake up, not live on the glory of praise singers, who have ravaged our democracy right from presidency to Local Government level.

“Prof Attahiru Jega, the INEC Chairman, should put the same ability he put and witnessed in Ghana elections and other fast developing countries to Nigeria election,” he said.

Nwodo advised the Commission to embark on internal reform of the body, to flush out bad officials which Jega, on assumption of office, promised to do. He condemned the manner in which employment process was carried out at INEC.

Nwodo said the employment process at the Commission lacked transparency. He urged the Commission to embark on the education of the political class through adequate enlightenment campaign.

A former National Publicity Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Mr Denis Aghanya, advised INEC to amend the Electoral Act, to enforce internal democracy within political parties. According to him, INEC has taken noble steps to deregister “paper political parties.

“It should push further for an amendment of the Electoral Act, to enable it to enforce internal democracy within political parties.

“That way, it would enable INEC to have a final say based on its findings in 2012, during supervision of party primaries,” he said.

The Lagos State Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Bishop Gabriel Omoruyi, advised INEC to ensure equal and level playing ground for all political parties.

According to him, the idea where electoral officers join hands with parties in power to rig elections in their favour is not right.

“INEC truly has tried in the previous elections they conducted, but needs to strengthen very equal playing ground for all political parties,” Omoruyi said.