Continue to be transparent, fair – US envoy urges INEC in Ekiti

The United State’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Stuart Symington, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ekiti state to continue to make transparency and fairness its watchwords in all electoral engagements, particularly the Governorship election due to come up after the Anambra election.

In a press release made available to journalists in Ado-Ekiti, INEC state Public Relations Officer in Ekiti, Taiwo Gbadegesin, said the the U.S envoy also assured the commission of continued support of the United States’ Government in its electoral activities towards consolidating democratic governance in Nigeria.

In his response, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ekiti state, Prof.Abdul-Ganiyy Olayinka Raji, appreciated the contributions of the Government of the US in ensuring the growth of democratic governance in Nigeria as a donor partner of the commission. He made it known that he is on oath not to be biased in the discharge of his duties and this he has upheld with all sense of integrity and conscience since he assumed duty in the state.

He stated that part of the strategies put in place to achieve unprecedented success during the forthcoming elections include intensifying voters’ education and meetings with critical stakeholders in the electoral process from time to time, adding that such steps would heighten the electoral awareness to better the skills and consciousness of the officials, the voters and the general public.

REC disclosed that he had met with heads of all security operatives who were also members of the Inter-agency Consultative on Election Security (ICCES), political class as well as the Civil Society Organisations which included the Youths and People living with Disabilities as part of efforts to sensitize stakeholders.

” The commission in Ekiti state is always ready to improve on the standard it has registered in the past elections adjudged to be free, fair, transparent and acceptable to all by the observers and monitoring groups, ” he said.