We Know Nothing About The Electoral Violence In Kogi State – INEC

Posted by: Folamidavid in News, Politics Dec 6, 2019

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has come out to say that it fulfilled its constitutional duties in the conduct of the November Governorship and Supplementary polls in Kogi State.

Director, Voter Education and Publicity (VEP) in the Kogi office of the commission, Ahmed-Bagudu Biambo, revealed this at a Post-Election Dialogue on Kogi State Governorship Election on Thursday in Lokoja.

According to him, INEC made electoral materials available and ensured they got to their several polling units on time.

Speaking on the violence, thuggery and other malpractices that took place, Ahmed said INEC cannot be held accountable and cannot answer for it.

He feels there is a missing link in Nigeria’s electoral system and that could be the reason for the widespread violence during the election.

He added that INEC is conducting an independent review of the election to know what happened.

Can they fish out the perpetrators?

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), set up in 1998, is the electoral body which was set up to oversee elections in Nigeria.

The origin of the INEC goes back to the period before Independence when the Electoral Commission of Nigeria was established to conduct 1959 elections. The Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO), established in 1960 conducted the immediate post-independence federal and regional elections of 1964 and 1965. The electoral body was dissolved after the military coup of 1966. In 1978, the Federal Electoral Commission was constituted by the regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo, organizing the elections of 1979 which ushered in the Nigerian Second Republic under the leadership of Alhaji Shehu Shagari. It also conducted the general elections of 1983.

In December 1995, the military government of General Sani Abacha established the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria which conducted another set of elections. These elected institutions were not inaugurated before the sudden death of General Abacha on June 1998 aborted the process. In 1998 General Abdulsalam Abubakar’s Administration dissolved NECON and established the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). INEC organized the transitional elections that ushered in the Nigerian Fourth Republic on May 29, 1999.

In January 2015, the “#BringBackOurGirls group has raised the alarm over plans by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to exclude Chibok and some communities currently under the control of the Boko Haram from getting the permanent voter cards (PVCs) for the February elections.”