Oshiomhole urges clean up of INEC

Written by Daily Trust Saturday, 03 July 2010

Oshiomhole was speaking to newsmen in Katsina Wednesday when he led members of his executive council on a condolence visit to the government and people of the state over the death of former President Umaru Musa Yar’adua.

Oshiomhole who sees the appointment of Jega as the beginning of the changes required for the conduct of credible elections in the country pointed out, “If you put a new head on top of a rotten body, it may not make all the differences you may desire”.

He said all INEC officials that presided over elections that were nullified by courts of law are not supposed to be allowed to remain in the business, saying there must be a complete  clean up of the old order.

He said allowing them to remain in the system would create problems for Professor Jega.

“I know Jega has all the qualities required of an umpire in the Nigerian set up but he cannot do it alone because on election day Jega is going to be in one location and you are going to have all these other people in different locations”, he said. He added that what would make a difference is the attitude of security agencies, particularly the police who have a great role to play in ensuring free and fair elections, noting that what is most important is for everyone to recognize that this country cannot afford another disputed election.

On state electoral commissions, Governor Oshiomhole said the Justice Uwais recommendation offered the best platform to reorder the electoral system and it is not right for state governors to appoint the heads of those electoral bodies. He described late Yar’adua as a great leader whose legacies would continue to be in the minds of Nigerians, particularly his courage in tackling the Niger Delta crisis and the insistence on the rule of law among others.