INEC Chairman Warns Nigerian Politicians

 

INEC chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega yesterday warned that the 2015 election would be undermined if political parties did not stop wanton cases of thuggery and disruptions evident in recent elections.

Jega, who gave the warning at the third quarterly meeting between INEC and political parties in Abuja, also charged the political class to stop overheating the polity.

He urged political parties to restrict their quest for elective offices to areas they have institutional presence, pointing out that the commission has been receiving petitions against political parties that lack any presence in some states but habitually present candidates whenever bye-elections are scheduled.

He further warned political parties to desist from engaging in political campaigns outside the stipulated time frame of 90 days before polling day and 24 hours to polling day.

He said: “We urge you to do everything possible to sanitize the polity. You must have an enlightened self-interest, deepening and sustaining our democracy in the best interest of all politicians, as it is for all citizens.

“You must stop overheating the polity. You must continue to promote peaceful conduct and civility in political engagements and electioneering. And you must stop the rising tendency towards thuggery in campaigns and elections. In recent bye-elections we saw disruptions of the electoral process caused by thuggery; this must be stopped in order not to undermine our aspirations for credible and peaceful elections in 2015.”