80% of INEC’s problems come from politicians—REC

Prof. Abduganiyu Olayinka, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Ekiti State, says 80 per cent of INEC’s problems come from politicians.
Olayinka spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria on the sideline of the 2019 Post Election Review Meeting with RECs in Ikeja, Lagos.
According to him, we are not going to do a kind of blame game today, but we know 80 per cent of our problems are coming from the political class.
He said: “We want to leave that to the electorate to solve while we are talking about it,’’ he said.
He said that the commission had decided not to continue blaming politicians because citizens would be looking at INEC as blaming others for its shortcomings.
“But, it is what is obvious that everybody can see. Who will buy votes, who will sell votes? Off course, it is not INEC.
“Who is going to snatch ballot boxes? It is not INEC. So, we should advise those people interested in disrupting the process at the collation centre.
“These are processes that mar elections. So, if we are left to conduct elections in peace, we will definitely do that and the exercise will be credible.
“Who will incite INEC staff for those who are ready to be incited? It is the political class.”
Olayinka said that the review would make the electoral process better in the country, urging the country to find solution to the desperation and `do-or-die` attitude of political gladiators.
According to him, practical issues and lessons derived from the review will definitely affect future elections positively.
He said that it would help the commission to deliver free, fair, credible and acceptable elections in the future.
He added that the attitude of some ad hoc staff in sabotaging the electoral process is also a challenge to address.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the review meeting had in attendance RECs, National Commissioners, and Administrative Secretaries of the commission among others.