INEC Pledges Credible Supplementary Polls

The Independent National Electoral Commission has pledged to ensure free, fair and credible supplementary elections in states where governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections were declared inconclusive. Osaze-Uzzi Oluwole, the Director of Publicity and Voter Education of INEC, made the pledge in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Wednesday. NAN recalls that INEC had rescheduled elections in some parts of Imo, Taraba and Abia States for April 25. The commission explained that governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections in Imo, Taraba and Abia States were declared inconclusive due to some irregularities in the elections. Oluwole said the new date for the elections was decided by state offices of INEC in conjunction with the INEC headquarters. He added that the commission would give the affected states offices the necessary support to make the supplementary elections successful. He said: “The supplementary election is just like any other national election. “The commission would give the states necessary support to make it a success.” Oluwole added that the commission was prepared to complement its achievements in the elections so far concluded. Asked if the commission had commenced investigation into campaign expenditures of political parties in the just-concluded elections, Oluwole said the parties had six months to summit their expenditure details to INEC. He added that INEC would carry out investigation into such expenditures at the appropriate time.