July 21, 2010
The Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress has described the insistence of INEC to conduct the up coming 2011 election with the old, discredited INEC voters register is suspicious and a pointer that the new INEC wants to bungle another historical opportunity to break through the vicious circle of electoral fraud. It says that by that statement, Nigerians should watch the new INEC to ensure it doesn’t treat Nigerians to yet another jamboree in 2011.
The Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress has described the insistence of INEC to conduct the up coming 2011 election with the old, discredited INEC voters register is suspicious and a pointer that the new INEC wants to bungle another historical opportunity to break through the vicious circle of electoral fraud. It says that by that statement, Nigerians should watch the new INEC to ensure it doesn’t treat Nigerians to yet another jamboree in 2011.
In a release in Lagos, signed by the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the AC, Joe Igbokwe, Lagos AC says that the statement portends bad omen to the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians for a free and fair election in 2011. It says that any credible election must be predicated on a credible and authentic voter’s register that will represent the authentic Nigerians voters.
“Like many Nigerians, we are shocked that the new INEC leadership heralded into office by tremendous goodwill from Nigerians, is already behaving as if it wants to continue on the sad and murky paths charted by the immediate past odious INEC leadership. We wonder how a credible INEC leadership could place any premium at all on a concocted register that contained frivolous, fictitious names and which has been an object of ribaldry by Nigerians. A voter’s register that contains names such as Muhammed Alli, Mike Tyson, Michael Jackson, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton is only a sick forgery that was meant to concoct victory for the PDP and it served that purpose while the tenure of the past INEC leadership lasted. We are confused that the Jega led INEC is thinking too seriously of this macabre forgery and are thinking of conducting the next election based on this register.
“Lagos AC has not minced words that elections are rigged on a foundation laid by a faulty voter’s register and the one with which the farcical 2007 elections was conducted stands out in this faulty case. We believe that any electoral body that wants to conduct a free and impeccable election must start its work from a clean registration of voters. Trying to work with the so-called existing voter’s register is like pouring new wine in an old and rotten wineskin. We are even surprised that Isiaka Adeleke, one of the people whose names have featured prominently in election rigging in Osun and Ekiti State was foretelling us with a frightening finality the other day that INEC will never carry out a new voter’s registration before the 2011 election. We hope the new INEC is not being teleguided by those who do not want a free and fair election in Nigeria for their corrupt interests.
“We strongly believe that any electoral body that is desirous of conducting a free and fair election has enough time to conduct a credible voter’s register so that we can have a true picture of the real voters in Nigeria. We refuse to accept the sloppy excuse that we don’t have enough time for a new voter’s register before the general election. We hope the new INEC leadership is not deliberately laying the foundation for another massive electoral fraud in 2011. We urge Nigerians to be watchful and ensure the present INEC delivers on the promise to give Nigerians a very credible election in 2011. We call for increased vigilance from Nigerians both on the INEC and the federal government if we want to break the sash of faulty electoral conducts in 2011.”
Joe Igbokwe
In a release in Lagos, signed by the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the AC, Joe Igbokwe, Lagos AC says that the statement portends bad omen to the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians for a free and fair election in 2011. It says that any credible election must be predicated on a credible and authentic voter’s register that will represent the authentic Nigerians voters.
“Like many Nigerians, we are shocked that the new INEC leadership heralded into office by tremendous goodwill from Nigerians, is already behaving as if it wants to continue on the sad and murky paths charted by the immediate past odious INEC leadership. We wonder how a credible INEC leadership could place any premium at all on a concocted register that contained frivolous, fictitious names and which has been an object of ribaldry by Nigerians. A voter’s register that contains names such as Muhammed Alli, Mike Tyson, Michael Jackson, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton is only a sick forgery that was meant to concoct victory for the PDP and it served that purpose while the tenure of the past INEC leadership lasted. We are confused that the Jega led INEC is thinking too seriously of this macabre forgery and are thinking of conducting the next election based on this register.
“Lagos AC has not minced words that elections are rigged on a foundation laid by a faulty voter’s register and the one with which the farcical 2007 elections was conducted stands out in this faulty case. We believe that any electoral body that wants to conduct a free and impeccable election must start its work from a clean registration of voters. Trying to work with the so-called existing voter’s register is like pouring new wine in an old and rotten wineskin. We are even surprised that Isiaka Adeleke, one of the people whose names have featured prominently in election rigging in Osun and Ekiti State was foretelling us with a frightening finality the other day that INEC will never carry out a new voter’s registration before the 2011 election. We hope the new INEC is not being teleguided by those who do not want a free and fair election in Nigeria for their corrupt interests.
“We strongly believe that any electoral body that is desirous of conducting a free and fair election has enough time to conduct a credible voter’s register so that we can have a true picture of the real voters in Nigeria. We refuse to accept the sloppy excuse that we don’t have enough time for a new voter’s register before the general election. We hope the new INEC leadership is not deliberately laying the foundation for another massive electoral fraud in 2011. We urge Nigerians to be watchful and ensure the present INEC delivers on the promise to give Nigerians a very credible election in 2011. We call for increased vigilance from Nigerians both on the INEC and the federal government if we want to break the sash of faulty electoral conducts in 2011.”
Joe Igbokwe
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