2011 elections may be Nigeria's last chance, says Bakare

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Category: Opinions/Interviews
Published on Tuesday, 14 September 2010 08:14
Written by The Nation
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THE proper conduct of next year's elections may be the last chance for Nigeria to avoid fulfilment of predictions about likely collapse, members of the Save Nigeria Group (SNG), led by Pastor Tunde Bakare said Monday.

Tabling a five-point demand of the SNG before the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the commission's headquarters in Abuja Monday, Rev Bakare emphasised that the integrity of INEC's Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega has revived public interest in seeing the ballot box as a means of hope towards achieving good governance.

Bakare expressed SNG's concerns about issues surrounding the planned voters' registration exercise, mode of voting, election monitoring, activities of election officers and the need to ensure an impartial role for security forces.

He said: "However, we are conscious of the fact that you are handling the most unenviable job in our land today, given the shortness of time and all other factors being unequal in our peculiar situation...Your coming is the last chance to preserve the ballot box in our country and by extension, save Nigeria from collapse.

He also suggested the adoption of the Modified Open Secret Ballot voting system, saying it "totally eliminates multiple voting and guarantees credible results which would substantially reduce the number of petitions arising from elections".

Jega emphasised that INEC would do its very best and abide by the law in considering SNG's suggestions, including the voting system to adopt; adding that INEC's preparations for the voters' registration and the 2011 elections had gone far in spite of constraints.

"We are doing our best but we are open to new ideas and thinking out of the box to address some of the fundamental issues you have raised. We have gone very far with preparations and if not for the constraints of time, we could have done better. We will do our best, even with the time constraints; what we will do will be better than what had been done in the past," he said.