INEC’s Conduct Raises Doubt About Credible Polls In Nigeria

–Archbishop Kaigama

For Nigeria’s elections to be perceived as credible, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, His Grace, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, on Sunday, May 16, said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must deploy technology to drive efficiency and transparency. The Archbishop, during his homily at the Our Lady Queen of Nigeria, Pro-Cathedral, Abuja where Catholic Media Practitioners in the nation’s capital celebrated the 2021 World Communications Day, noted that politicians’ quest to win by all means was the major driver of electoral violence and abuse of power and resources.

According to Archbishop Kaigama: “Election must be peaceful, without electoral manipulation, partiality or ungodly conduct. The shoddy manner elections are conducted raise doubts about whether people’s votes count at all. “The quest to win by hook or by crook and the winner takes all syndrome explains why in a Local Government election in a State where a party has a sitting Governor, it is nearly always certain that their party will clear all the available seats, and this is often what lays the foundation for electoral violence, and the extravagant use of power and resources.”

The Chief Shepherd of Abuja faithful, however, enjoined media practitioners to resist the temptation of the manipulative use of the media by stirring tensions and heating up the polity to favour or satisfy certain interests at the expense of truth and objectivity. “This will not bring to society the needed light, hope, consolation, healing, growth and progress”, Archbishop kaigama noted.

(SOURCE: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE OF NIGERIA)