INEC's Jega Dismisses Protests Calling For His Resignation

The INEC boss said that protests and calls by some groups for his resignation would not deter him and his team from delivering free and fair elections to Nigerians. He said, “I have heard of the several calls for me to be removed. In fact, I am aware that some groups have been protesting. Well, I have a job to do and I will do it... all of us at INEC are focused on ensuring that this election is free and fair.”

In a clear response to protests for his removal, Jega said “I have a job to do and it would be a disservice to Nigerians for me to resign.” On issues of election day, he gave assurance that voters whose fingerprints might not be recognised by card readers would be allowed to vote after they must have filled incident forms.

Jega assured Nigerians that INEC had put in place, some stringent measures to prevent multiple voting in the elections. He said the time lapse between the accreditation and voting exercise was aimed at restricting movement of voters from one polling unit to the other and ensuring that people did not vote more than once.


He said, “Multiple voting is unfortunately the factor that has bedevilled many voting exercises in Nigeria. This problem is posed by politicians who pay voters to vote many times or plan to snatch ballot boxes once the voting exercise starts.

“But the time lapse will ensure that voting takes place and ends in the various polling units at the same time and voters who want to engage in this fraudulent act will not be able to move around.”

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