Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has on Thursday issued certificates of return to the governor-elect of Kaduna state, Nasir Ahmed El-rufai and the elected members of the State Assembly.
The National Commissioner who is in charge of FCT, Niger, Kaduna and Plateau state, Antonia okoosi-Simbine said the event is a two-in-one exercise in which the Supervising Commissioner issues the Certificate of Return to the governor, while the Resident Electoral Commissioner handles elected State Assembly members.
During the issuance of Certificate of Return, Simbine said the reality is that Nigerian democracy is deepening incrementally, having conducted the sixth successive election without an interregnum.
He added that there is improved integrity in the electoral system and becoming more competitive, as the margin between winners and runners-up are decreasing, making elections increasingly becoming inconclusive.
While speaking, she noted that pathetic crisis of lack of internal democracy in the parties and the desperation of candidates and their supporters driven by the fear of losing all tend to compound the problem.
She cautioned that candidates and supporters should not resort to self-help by taking the path of violence to undermine the virtues of democracy elections which according to her include choice in absolute freedom and peace.
Simbine further explained that the 2019 elections marked a new trend in which some parties and candidates engaged in violence behaviour, including manhandling election duty officials and intimidation of voters, collation and Returning Officers.
“The Commission views this trend with grave concerns and will continue to work on greater voter enlightenment for mandate protection as well as with the security agencies to curtail this ugly trend”, Simbine said.
She advises that disgruntled persons and parties should feel free to seek judicial remedy where they believe they have genuine case(s) to pursue.
” Her words: “indeed, seeking judicial remedy is not only a part and parcel of the electoral process in Nigeria, it is consistent with the culture of democracy as opposed to resorting to self-help”.
The National Commissioner who congratulated the elected state Assembly members, including those who are returning, urged that they should provide the necessary oversight of the executive and put the state in a good stead to deliver the benefits of the democracy.
