Bishop Owen Nwokolo Tackles INEC Boss Jega On Free And Fair Polls In 2015

                                               

Anglican Bishop on the Niger, Anambra state, Bishop Owen Nwokolo today challenged the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, to ensure that the 2015 General elections would not be muddled up as the previous ones.

Nwokolo appealed to INEC Boss to ensure that a comprehensive update of the voters’ register is done before the 2015 general election to engender confidence in the people of Nigeria  and international community in the  electoral process.

The Niger Diocese Bishop spoke in an interview shortly after the Collation Service for Archdeacons and Cannons at the All Saints Cathedral, Onitsha.

He reminded that lack of comprehensive and credible  voters’  register will vitiate the credibility of the election, no matter  the efficiency of the INEC . He stressed that the electoral body should also ensure that the electoral materials are distributed on time to polling booths on Election Day to avoid the confusion and late delivery of electoral materials that has characterized the INEC elections.

The Bishop also stressed the need  for INEC to engage in public enlightenment  to sensitize Nigerians on the preparation for the election, the role they are expected to play and the need  for them to exercise their franchise on the election day.

Bishop Nwokolo however, stated that although, the electoral body is still learning, trying to improve upon what they have done in the past few years democracy returned to Nigeria, there is need for INEC to prepare well ahead of the election to ensure credible poll.

The Onitsha Niger Diocese Bishop urged political parties and their leaders to play essential role  in determining the success of the election by mobilizing their members  as well as  creating level playing ground for internal democracy that will throw up credible candidates across parties.

Nwokolo said that it has been established that the trouble with Nigeria is its leadership, stating  that the day political parties  learnt how to field credible candidates for an election not an imposition , the day Nigeria  started  enjoying good governance, peace and prosperity.

On the instruction by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), that instructed its legislators in the National Assembly to block the executive bills including the screening of Service Chiefs and passing of 2014 budget, which has elicited wide spectrum of criticism for the party,  Bishop Nwokolo said that Nigerian politicians should learn how  to play politics without  bitterness  and rancor but for the overall interest of Nigerians.

He said that whether APC, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) or any other party for that matter, the unity and the interest of the people of Nigeria should be uppermost in their mind, so that things will work in the country.
He therefore urged the national leadership of APC to withdraw the directive to its National Assembly members and equally appealed to the members to ignore the order in the interest of the country.