We can’t guarantee perfect election in 2015- Jega

Nigerians should not expect a perfect election come 2015, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said.
Jega, who was receiving in audience, the United States of America Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, at the INEC headquarters, Abuja, said the Commission would only try its best but may be far from being perfect.
The INEC boss used the opportunity to avail the Ambassador of the various programmmes of the commission and measures being put in place to ensure credible elections.
Jega said: “We are not promising a perfect election in 2015 but we are confident that we will do our best.
“We have taken some steps to achieve this.
“For instance, staff training in collaboration with development partners, strategic plans and reorganized staff.
“We are planning a retreat to finalise the timetable for 2015.
“We are still on the continuous voters register and have held series of meetings with security agencies, CSOs and development partners ahead of 2015.
“While it is the responsibility of INEC to organise civic and other registration awareness, the commission faces challenges of funding as well.
“It is our responsibility under the Electoral Act to do civil education and even political education generally.
“It has always been challenging because the resources available to discharge that responsibility are usually insufficient, given the enormity of the task of dealing with a large illiterate population and to get them really understand what to do not only during voting, but the larger issues of costing good candidates and so on.
“So there is a lot of things the Civil Society Organizations can do.”
In his remarks, Entwhistle said the US Government would assist Nigeria with some technical funding as part of its support towards the election.
He spoke further: “I have been here for two and half months and I want to come over and pay my respect for the Chairman of Nigeria’s election commission because as I have stated clearly in some of my public comments, as Nigerians move to elections next year, my government and the people of United States stand with the people of Nigeria as they move towards a peaceful and transparent elections, which the Nigerian people deserve.
“I have come to introduce myself and some of my team to INEC.
“Obviously, we will work very closely towards the US support for this election.”
Entwistle also spoke on funding, stressing the need for INEC to be properly funded.
He however said the US would assist INEC through technical funding.
He said: “The funding of INEC is a Nigerian matter and that of the National Assembly.
“But we are looking at a way we can help INEC through different technical funds and so on.
“In any election campaign, obviously freedom of speech is very important.
“But in all countries in the world, including my own country, politicians have a responsibility to be responsible in what they say.
“In talking about the issues, they should be very fair in what they say.
“Any comment by anybody, talking about democracies all over the world that will flare up ethnic tensions, promote violence and engage in unfair criticism of the process is very unfortunate and it is not acceptable.
“We just met inside to decide what to do and focus on things like polling the capabilities of INEC, perhaps supporting indigenous Nigerians and observer groups.
“Very soon, we will get back to you with the details.”
On the signing of anti-same-sex marriage law by President Goodluck Jonathan, Entwistle had this to say: “The issue of same sex marriage is very controversial all over the world, including my country where 17 states out of 50 have considered it.
“Some are saying it is not legal.
“The issue that we see and I am speaking as a friend of Nigeria (as I read the Bill because I am not a lawyer), it looks to me that it puts significant restrictions in the Freedom of Assembly and Freedom of Expression and in my opinion, especially in advanced democracies, once government begins to say something in these areas, freedom no longer applies.
“It seems to me that such is a very worrisome precedent.”