A coalition of election observer groups has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Nasarawa state for the peaceful and credible conduct of the March 18th Governorship and State House of Assembly Elections.
The commendation was made by a coalition of observer groups that monitored the election in the state.
Briefing Journalists in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital, Mr. Nwokoma Messiah, Chairman of the group, which monitored the election in the state, said there was a remarkable improvement in the conduct of the elections compared to the 25th February Presidential and National Assembly Elections.
He explained that the INEC has identified areas of lapses like late arrival of materials, lack of ink for the pad, and better performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines, among others, which made the accreditation process faster.
Messiah added that the electorates, also within the areas they covered, behaved properly and went about the conduct of the elections in a peaceful and orderly manner, which was a good and encouraging sign for the general conduct of the election.
“In an election one person will surely emerge as the winner.
“It Is Important that the winners be given the needed support to ensure that governance is not frustrated by unnecessary bickering.
“… The security personnel that participated in the elections behaved themselves properly, with no reported cases of police brutality or intimidation.
“There was a kind of cooperation between the police and the electorates and this is commendable and should be a reference point for future elections in the state and the country in general,” Messiah noted.
The group also observed the negative resort to religious and tribal sentiments before and during the Governorship and State Assembly Elections by political figures, noting that it created a division in the voting pattern of the electorates.
“As much as this tendency remains a condemnable act, we must thank the majority of the electorates in the state for not heeding this call, which would have polarised the state and set it on an ignoble path that would have affected the relative peace that exists in the state.
“To this end, we unequivocally condemn such resort to religious sentiments and call on relevant authorities to nip this negative tendency in the bud in future elections because such sentiments have no place in building a united and prosperous state,” he said.
He called on politicians who lost out to accept the outcome of the elections and support those elected for the peace and progress of the state.
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