February 8, 2010

PRESS STATEMENT ON ANAMBRA ELECTION

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) hereby congratulates the people of Anambra State for the peaceful conduct of the governorship election on Saturday, February 6, 2010. Congress believes that the election which was largely free from violence and the characteristic malpractices that have become the hallmark of elections in the past is a welcome development in the country as we approach another general election come 2011.

The NLC is happy that the election was largely successful as a winner has emerged through the ballot. However, we need to be quick to acknowledge the fact that there were noticeable fundamental flaws in the process or conduct of the election. These include mix up in voters' registers which led to the disenfranchisement of many voters, instances where many people were unable to find their names in voters' registers, late arrival of polling materials and in a few instances the complete absence of electoral officials.

We must not therefore be carried away by the relative success recorded in the Anambra election because these noticeable flaws are fundamental to laying a strong foundation for the growth of democracy.

Congress strongly believes that the Anambra election indicates that the current INEC leadership under Prof Maurice Iwu is incapable of organising a proper free and fair election on a national scale.

It is our belief that the relative success recorded in Anambra is because the election was an isolated one where over 45, 000 personnel, which include INEC officials, security, election observers from civil society groups and international organisations. One wonders how INEC could cope with 36 states to conduct the elections of not only the President but governors, senators, House of Representatives members, etc all about the same time. INEC certainly needs to be repositioned with a competent and credible leadership before 2011 if we are to avert a worse disaster greater than what was experienced in 2007. This means that INEC under Prof Iwu lacks the vision and the capacity to conduct a trouble-free election.

We commend the Vice President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan for not approaching the election as a PDP member or in a do-or-die manner as was the case in the past. We also acknowledge the act of sportsmanship of the Vice President in promptly congratulating the declared winner of the election and urge our political elite to emulate this attitude which is capable of enriching and deepening our democracy.

Comrade Abdulwahed I. Omar

President