[attachimg=1] INEC is assuring the electorate of its preparedness to conduct free, fair and credible elections commencing on April 2. Thus, experts and poll watchers are worried that the 2011 general elections might go the way of the 2007 balloting that was roundly condemned by local and international observers as abysmally flawed.
It is true that the commission, through its chair, Prof. Attahiru Jega and some other officials had been releasing snippets of what to expect at the polls.
For instance, it had been reported that the commission would adopt the Modified Open Ballot System (MOBS) for the elections while politicians, the so-called 'big men' who move about polling stations in the guise of 'monitoring election' will not be allowed that indulgence in April.
Besides, stakeholders' meetings and seminars are being held in the states by RECs in collaboration with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on the processes of the elections.
Still, there are worries by critical segments of the society about INEC readiness to deliver on its mandate.
The fears stem from INEC's near tardiness in the conduct of the voters' registration, which suffered undue delays in delivering of materials and malfunctioning of equipment.
In the end, the public did not know how the INEC arrived at the final figure from a tentative 67,764,334 to 73,528,040 voters registered.
INEC may yet carry the can of politicians, who despite signing a code of conduct and the government avowal to ensure 'one man, one vote' are perfecting their scheming in a do-or-die politics.
Stories from the states are exceptionally unsettling, with the incumbent governments visiting varying degrees of harassment, intimidation, thuggery and violence on the opposition politicians and political parties.
Source: Fresh Hurdles Before April Polls (http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=42191:fresh-hurdles-before-april-polls&catid=1:national&Itemid=559)