The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), under Professor Attahiru Jega’s watch has vowed to clear the bag log of all promotions before the expiration of its tenure at the end of this month.
The INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, who declared this last week at a retreat for Administrative Secretaries and Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) at the Le Meridien Hotel, Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, ruled out the prospect of any “automatic promotion.”
Professor Jega disclosed that states which did not create or activate Registration Area Centres (RACs) during the last general elections will be directed to account for their inability.
He warned about reverting to what obtained in the past where Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and Electoral Officers (E.O.s) returned election outcomes, insisting that by appointing Returning Officers outside INEC, “remarkable improvement was brought to the process.”
He observed that the strain on RECs and E.O.s during elections was too much and further saddling them with the task of returning election outcomes tended to make them prone to mistakes. Argued he: “The strain is too much. They are not superhuman and they will make mistakes.”
He expressed delight that most of the Returning Officers appointed by the Commission in the 2011 and 2015 General Elections were above board.
He further observed that the retreat made a number of brilliant suggestions, which when taken on board by the next Commission, would remarkably improve the electoral process.
