2019 Election: INEC must not allow rigging – Labaran Maku

Former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, not to succumb to pressure from some politicians to compromise on its mandate.

Maku, who made the call during a courtesy call on the commission’s office in Lafia on Friday, called on the INEC to ensure free, fair and credible 2019 general elections in the state.

According to him, the only thing that would compel leaders to deliver on their campaign promises was credible elections.

Maku, who is Nasarawa State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), said: “When politicians know that they cannot subvert the wish of the people by influencing the outcome of elections, they are bound to be prepared to perform.

“If all of us know that the only way to get elected is through popular vote, we must work for the people.

“But when INEC officials allow themselves to be used to rig elections against popular will, the country will continue to witness bad governance,” he said.

Maku remarked that electoral officers who succumbed to pressure from politicians and rigged elections might benefit in the short run.

He, however, stressed that such people would later be affected by bad health facilities and insecurity due to bad governance by dishonest people declared winners of such elections.

The former Minister of Information also called on security agencies to exhibit neutrality and avoid compromising the electoral process, in the interest of democracy in the country.

“If INEC and the security agencies love this country, they should allow free, fair and credible elections,” Maku said.

The APGA candidate promised to ensure that his supporters conducted themselves well before, during and after the polls.

Responding, Uthman Ajidagba, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, expressed gratitude to the candidate for the visit.

Ajidagba assured him that the commission would do its best to ensure that the general election would be better than the previous ones.

He added that with the technology employed by the commission, nobody could clone the Permanent Voter Cards for the purpose of manipulating the election.

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