Why we’re yet to conduct bye-election to replace late Ifeanyi Ubah – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it is still waiting for a request from the Senate to hold elections in Anambra South District to replace former senator, Ifeanyi Ubah.

Elizabeth Agu, resident electoral commissioner (REC) in Anambra state, said this in an interview organized by the commission with International Press Center (IPC) in Awka on Thursday.

The theme of the discussion was “Rebuilding Trust in the Electoral and Electoral Process”.

Senator Ubah, who represented Anambra South District, he died in July 2024.

Mrs. Agu said INEC has prepared for the elections and is ready to do so whenever the Senate asks to fill the vacant seat.

He called on the people of Anambra, especially politicians, to abide by the law as the state prepares for the governorship election on November 8 while assuring that the electoral commission will ensure that the votes of the people are counted.

Public trust is essential for a successful election

In his keynote address, Nkwachukwu Orji, a lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said that trust with the people is very important for a united and successful election.

Mr. Nkwachukwu, a former REC in the district, said the apathy of the voters shows that there is a problem with the electoral process, including the lack of trust.

The teacher said that although INEC has the right to follow the rules of the electoral process, it allowed other people to participate in order to strengthen public confidence.

He said that trust in the election can be due to skill or honesty.

According to him, trust is a process that goes up or down and is affected by fraud and error, ineffective behavior of officials, wrong laws, discrimination and others.

“This is why INEC has transferred the declaration of results to the vice-chancellors,” he said.

‘Political prophets’

The chairman of the programme, Emeka Ononamadu, said the election requires the cooperation of many stakeholders who must work effectively to produce reliable results.

Mr. Onnamadu, a former REC in Enugu State and the founder of the Nigeria Democracy Clinic said that the stakeholders are the civil society, the security agencies, and the people at large, all of whom must be successful.

He said another problem with elections in Nigeria is the role of “political prophets” who have predicted the results that put the candidates and the referee on unnecessary grounds.

In his welcome speech, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, the head of the IPC, said the number of people who participated in the event showed the dedication and commitment of the participants in promoting the electoral system.

Mr Arogundade, who was represented by Stella Nwofia, program manager at the IPC, promised that the ideas of the discussion would be shared with the relevant authorities to improve the democratic process.

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“Our aim is to gather information from all parts of Nigeria, looking at the need to rebuild trust and strengthen cooperation that will help in future elections, especially following the difficulties that occurred in the 2023 elections.

“Together, we can initiate significant changes and restore integrity to our decisions. The road ahead may be difficult, but with effort and determination, we can make a difference,” he said.

(IN)