The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Monday reassured Nigerians of its determination and readiness to deliver credible and acceptable elections in Ekiti and Osun governorship elections as well as in 2019.
INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu gave the assurance during his opening remarks at a week-long retreat for INEC staff in collaboration with European Centre for Electoral Supports (ECES) in Lagos.
Yakubu said the commission had planned well for great achievement during the forthcoming the 2019 general elections in the country.
According to him, all necessary measures have been put place to make sure that 2019 general elections would be better than the 2015 elections.
“Part of what we have come to do is the implementation of the plans put in place for the forthcoming elections.
“This is coming immediately after the completion of the strategic plan programme of action and the election project plan,” he said.
The INEC chairman also said that the retreat was geared toward the implementation of Election Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC).
According to him, the EMSC is aimed at ensuring an improvement on the 2011 and 2015 elections.
He said that the EMSC was an integration of the Election Management System (EMS), Election Risk Management (ERM) and Electoral Operations and Support Centre (EOSC).
Yakubu expressed confidence that the plan would make the conduct of subsequent elections better in the country because of its potential to ensure real-time solutions to election challenges.
Mr David Le Notre, ECES Project Director, said that EMSC would enhance the monitoring and support framework for the implementation of INEC Election Project Plan (EPP) in 2019 general elections.
“ECES is proud to support this laudable initiative which is a continuation of its support toward strengthening strategic policy framework and operational capacity and system of INEC.
‘’This is within the contest of component one of European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN).
Le Notre commended INEC for the EMSC initiative and expressed optimism that the development would enhance the implementation, monitoring and support of electoral activities.
Prof. Okechukwu Ineanu, the Chairman of the INEC Monitoring and Strategy Committee said one of the most important developments in INEC was its commitment to knowledge-driven elections.
He said that EMSC would change Nigerians’ views on how elections are conducted.
