President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday assured Nigerians that he would not interfere with the operations of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Buhari made the pledge during the swearing in of the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and five National Commissioners at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The National Commissioners who took the oath of office on Monday were Amina Zakari, Solomon Adedeji Soyebi, Prof. Antonia Taiye Okoosi-Simbine, Dr. Muhammed Mustafa Lecky and Alhaji Baba Shettima Arfo.
The President stressed the need to prosecute electoral offenders by INEC, saying: “Another area of concern is the justice administration of the Electoral Tribunals.
“It is long overdue that our justice system addresses these shortcomings.
“It is not just enough for an election to be cancelled and a new one ordered.
“It would be much better if all whose actions or inaction that led to the cancellation of such election are to be investigated and if culpable prosecuted, whether they are individuals as candidates or party agents, institutions such as political party, electoral body or public officers as electoral staff or security agents.
“Similarly, perpetrators of electoral violence and thuggery should not be spared. Unless our system stops covering up all forms of electoral malpractices we can hardly get it right. No system endures with impunity.”
On the independence of the electoral body, President Buhari said: “In the conduct of elections, we promised to respect the independence of our electoral body, INEC. We promised non-interference in its activities and above all we promised to encourage them to conduct transparently free and fair elections. I hereby pledge to keep that promise.”
The President also charged INEC: “You must respect the law and we will hold you bound by the oath which you have just taken. The nation has reposed a lot of trust and confidence in you. You cannot afford to fail.
“I am aware of the Federal Government’s constitutional constraints in its engagement with the State’s Electoral Bodies. But the government has a social responsibility to protect the democratic rights of all.
“I am of the view that it is totally unacceptable to hide under the cover of the technicality of law to deny the citizens’ rights.”
Buhari also frowned at a situation whereby the party of the sitting government would win all the Council Elections.
He said: “While there is nothing wrong with that if it is the true wish of the people, but majority of Nigerians more often than not think it is not, hence have little respect for the outcome of our council elections. This is responsible for questioning the integrity of such election winners throughout their tenure.
“Needless to add that the APC is not limited to the control of Federal Government alone. There are many states that are APC controlled; I expect them to do no less in the way they handle their various States’ Electoral Commissions.
“All of us, and this includes other political parties have a responsibility to safe-guard the sanctity of democratic values; and the foundation of such values are free association, transparent electoral process and free and fair elections.
On the change promised by his party, the All Progressives Congress, Buhari had this to say: “It starts from change of attitudes, change of work ethics, change in attitude to corruption and corrupt practices, change of party political conduct-right from primaries to the emergence of candidates and finally the conduct of elections.”
Yakubu, in his response on behalf of others, declared: “We shall not fail the nation.”
After the swearing in ceremony, he told State House Correspondents: “The constitution and also the electoral Act are very clear.
“These are the two documents that will guide the operations of INEC under my chairmanship and we will not waver.
“Well, we have achieved universal accolades for the successes recorded in the 2015 general elections.
“I think it is prudent that we are going to consolidate on this elections so that what counts ultimately is the will of the Nigerian people.
“Whoever Nigerians vote for, they should be rest assured that their votes count.
“And those they vote for will be their representatives at all levels.
“In fact if there is any value that technology is going to add in addition to the card readers, we will happily introduce that.
“As I said at the screening at the Senate, no more will elections be won and lost at the headquarters of INEC. Who ever wishes to represent Nigerians at whatever level, he or she has access to the ballot box and whatever Nigerians chose is what INEC will uphold.”
According to Yakubu, the forthcoming Kogi and Bayelsa States governorship elections would be strictly conducted in line with the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act.
The elections, he said, would be free, fair and credible like the 2015 elections.
He said: “It is not like we going to do anything new that Nigerians don’t know. The goal post is not going to shift, Nigerians will know that the elections will be credible as the 2015 general elections were adjourned as credible.
“The card reader will be deployed and the PVC will also be deployed and thereafter, if there is any value technology can add, we are going to also explore it.”
Present at the ceremony were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.