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By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja
Mr Idris Miliki Abdul, the
Executive Director,Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution, (CHRCR),Lokoja has called on the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission to establish, as a matter of urgency, offices in all the 21 local government areas.
The exercise director, who also urged that the offices should be manned by trainef personnel, expressed optimism that the move would boost the quality of future elections in the state.
Abdul, who made the call in a release he sent to The Reporters, an online news platform in Lokoja on Monday, said such step would also enhance the process of ensuring free and fair elections in kogi state.
He also called for adequate materials and equipment to assist the officials conduct free and fair elections in order to avoid the lapses discovered in the December 12,2020 council polls in the interest of the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
“We call on political parties not to take laws into their hands but seek redress in the election tribunal setup by the Judiciary,” he Abdul further advised.
Abdul stressed that democracy is the best form of government, adding that elections play a pivotal role in a system of representative democracy and serves as ingredient of development,if elections were properly conducted to encourage inclusivity and participation of all.
He also advised the commission to do more in terms of Civic and Voter education, urged political parties to conduct transparent primaries that would produce candidates for future elections, while materials should be distributed to the wards on time for electoral materials to reach their respective Polling Units with ease.
Abdul, however, praised the security arrangement for the polls as exemplified by the presence of security personnel at the various bPolling Units, a development he noted contributed to no loss of life nature of the council elections.
He, nonetheless, called on Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to do much in the mobilization of the citizens for l effective participation of the electorate in the future elections among other recommendations.
Our correspondent reports that the elected chairmen and councillors were sworn-in in Lokoja on Monday, signalling the commencement of their three-year tenure into the third tier governance of their respective areas of jurisdiction, in an occasion presided over by the Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
