Jega also presided over inconclusive elections, says Yakubu

Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says elections were declared inconclusive during the tenure of Attahiru Jega, his predecessor.

Reacting to the criticisms that have trailed the state elections which the commission has conducted since he came on board, Yakubu, who was speaking at a public lecture in Abuja, said inconclusive elections were reflections of competitiveness of the polls.

The situation of the elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states, where winners were not announced on the first ballot, have earned the body critical comments, with suggesting that INEC should be renamed Inconclusive National Electoral Commission.

But Yakubu maintained that the process of declaration of winners of election as contained in the commission’s guidelines, would never be compromised.

“Elections are declared inconclusive to ensure the credibility of the process,” he said.

“INEC had declared election inconclusive in Taraba, Imo and Anambra. The truth is our elections are getting better, they are also becoming competitive.

“By the same token, citizens are now more confident that the votes really count.

“INEC will continue to ensure that the credibility of our elections remain sacrosanct.

“Acts of thuggery, ballot box snatching, wilful violation of guidelines and deliberate acts to void the card readers will always attract sanctions.”

However, Yakubu admitted that the commission under his watch had experienced hitches, asking the public to come forward with suggestions.

“I must admit that we have recorded some glitches in the operation and configuration of the smart card readers with particular respect to the biometric authentication of voters,” he said.

“Although the reported cases are not substantial enough to mar the elections, we are, however, determined to ensure that we address these challenges in future elections, be it at the level of technology or staff training.

“We welcome suggestions from Nigerians at large in this regard, bearing in mind that the smart card reader is still a technology in its pioneering stage in our electioneering stage.

‘’But, the device has already revolutionized our electoral process.’’