Ex-Ekiti acting Governor tasks INEC on electoral system
By Victor Akinkuolie
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A former Acting Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Olatunji Odeyemi has stressed the need for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for an improvement and upward review in the electoral system in the country.
Odeyemi, who is also a former Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, dropped the hint in Ode-Ekiti during the celebration of his 60th birthday,
He lamented on the performance of INEC during the just concluded general elections, particularly on the River State elections, which he described as worrisome.
Odeyemi explained that the country’s democracy is still at the nascent stage, but hinted that there was need for urgent and radical development of the system in the area of voter education.
On the possible solution to the menace, the former lawmaker explained that the electoral umpire needed to redouble its efforts in addressing several challenges and other pervasive cases of violence as well as apathy during elections.
He equally suggested that INEC should be more independent, saying that the development would further make the country electoral system to be more credible.
“INEC must redouble its efforts in future elections, we have not really get it right, look at it now four weeks after elections in Rivers State INEC has not been able to collate results, is that an improvement on the electoral system? If the results were recorded, where was it kept until now”.
On the performance of his political party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) during the election, Odeyemi attributed it to the mutual and harmony in the party.
“Look at it, we were able to unseat some sitting governors, the PDP would have perform better than that, if not that the INEC are not truly independent.
“For example in Benue state, PDP adopted the system of using former Senate President as Party Agent, that was why the party was able to win ” he stated.
