Nigerians have been told to blame the activities of desperate politicians for the recent spate of inconclusive elections in the country.
The Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who made the call on Thursday, said politicians’ desperation to win elections at all cost, usually lead to irregularities and electoral violence with innocent citizens killed and maimed during polls.
Prof. Yakubu, however, stated that INEC’s determination not to overlook the infractions in the conduct of elections in line with the tenet of electoral law, was another reason for inconclusive polls.
He, however, corrected the erroneous impression in some quarters that his six months tenure in office as INEC chairman or advent of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, marked the beginning of inconclusive polls in the country.
Yakubu, who spoke at a one day civil society/stakeholders roundtable on INEC and inclusive elections organised by the Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Group (ISDMG), pointed out that before his appointment or coming of the Buhari administration, there were instances when elections were declared inconclusive.
Represented by the Director of Voters’ Education at the commission, Mr. Oluwale Osaze Uzzy, the INEC chief also advocated a 10-year ban for politicians found guilty of electoral offences from aspiring to any public office.
