Top officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and some returning members of the National Assembly yesterday pledged to amend laws and evolve measures to correct the lapses that were associated with the last general elections.
Some of the measures being initiated by INEC are increase in the number of polling units across the country to reduce overcrowding at the centres during the actual voting and voters' education on the electoral process.
The commission also plans to work with political parties and other stakeholders to check the excesses of politicians, who resort to violence when they are not favoured by the outcome of any contest.
For the National Assembly, the focus will be on amending the 2010 Electoral Act to address issues, which the existing law did not cover but were palpable during the just concluded elections.
The promises were made by the re-elected lawmakers and INEC officials yesterday during the presentation of Certificates of Return to the winners of the last polls in various parts of the country.
In Ondo State, INEC condemned the incessant election violence in the two coastal local councils of Ilaje and Ese-Odo and called for a stakeholders' parley to find ways to stopping the trend.
At a ceremony in Akure, INEC National Commissioner for Lagos, Ondo and Osun states, Adedeji Soyebi, who presented the certificates to the winners of state and National Assembly elections, urged politicians in Ondo "to get together and look into the causes of violence in these two councils and find ways of addressing them.
"We all have a duty of ensuring not only free and fair elections but violence-free ones. If we must get our acts together and do elections that meet world standard, every effort must be made to discourage violence."
He lamented that the two councils had a history of election violence.
Soyebi presented certificates to the 26 members-elect of the House of Assembly, nine members-elect of the House of Representatives and three Senators-elect.
According to him, INEC would heed the yearnings of the electorate for an increase in the number of polling units across the country, adding that Ondo would benefit from the exercise.
In his remark, the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Akin Orebiyi expressed delight that the polls that produced the recipients were globally acclaimed to be free, fair, and credible.
The Senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District and Chairman, Rules and Business, House of Representatives, Ita Solomon Enang, says the National Assembly would amend the Electoral Act but not in the way INEC is pushing the issue.
He told journalists at INEC headquarters in Uyo after receiving his certificate of returns along with two other senators and 10 members of the Lower House that though INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, is a good umpire, he cannot dictate the ways the 2010 Electoral Act should be amended to the Legislature.
"Jega was a good umpire; I know he has raised serious issues about some provisions of the Electoral Act, I do not agree with all of them because my colleagues and I worked seriously on the Electoral Act, and if there are other issues which they have reservations, it is for them to work on what we have done; after the election, I want INEC to collate what their problems are. We will look at the different judgments of the courts, the first to the third amendments and then decide on which area of the Act we will amend, but we will not rush into amending the law," he said.
According to Enang, the Electoral Act is one law, other than the constitution, which would be given more attention, claiming that he was sometimes accused of inserting sections into the Act to reduce the powers of INEC.
"I want them to bring those areas in the Act which they have reservations so that we discuss them on the floor of the House.
"Our job is to make the law, INEC is to conduct election according to the law, INEC is not to give us the law to conduct election, it can only suggest to us; the Legislature is independent, INEC is to be bound by the constitution and by the law", he added.
The elated lawmaker count himself as being the luckiest Nigerians having gone through the rung of legislature as councillor, House of Assembly member, House of Representatives and now a senator-elect.
Others, who received their certificates, were re-elected Aloysius Etok (Akwa Ibom North West), and Mrs. Helen Esuene (Akwa Ibom North South).
In Asaba, Delta State yesterday, a legal action initiated by Ned Nwoko of the opposition Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) at a Federal High Court, Asaba has led to INEC being stopped from giving the Certificate of Return to a ruffled Ifeanyi Okowa. He declined speaking with reporters.
A total of 40 winners, including Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, the Deputy Governor Amos Utuama received their certificates from the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Gabriel Adah.
Okowa, the winner of the Delta North Senatorial District, who stormed the Grand Hotel, Asaba venue of the ceremony with a horde of his supporters, went home disappointed.
During the last April 9 National Assembly election, the Returning Officer for Ika Federal Constituency, Dr. Godwin Avwioro of the College of Medicine, Delta State University, Abraka, had alleged widespread irregularities at Ika North East.
Also, a legal tangle between Mr. Emeh Mukoro and Mr. Marvin Ojigho on who is the real candidate of the DPP for Ughelli South in the House of Assembly prevented the commission from awarding a certificate to the winner.
Apparently moved by Okowa's plight (former Secretary to the Delta State Government), Uduaghan appealed to supporters of the various candidates to refrain from violence.
Uduaghan advised the losers to seek redress in the court instead of taking the laws into their hands and perpetuating mayhem.
INEC National Commissioner for Jigawa, Kano, and Katsina states, Ambassador Muhammed Ahmed Wali, has issued certificate to Governor Sule Lamido and his Deputy, Alhaji Ahmed Mahmud in Dutse.
Three senators-elect, 11 House of Representatives' members-elect, and 30 House of Assembly members-elect also received their certificates.
Wali said whether INEC had delivered on free and fair election is left for Nigerians to judge.
He noted that the April 2011 elections on the whole was rated higher than even the Ghanaian election by international and local observers.
"In this regard, therefore, Nigeria has overtaken Ghana as a country that has held the most successful election in Africa. Indeed, this Gold that Nigeria won was largely due to ethical prestige, experience, knowledge, non-partisanship of Jega as well as other members of the commission."
Lamido thanked INEC for keeping its promise of delivering free, fair and credible elections in the midst of all the challenges.
Source: N'Assembly, INEC to tackle polls' flaws, violence (http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47588:nassembly-inec-to-tackle-polls-flaws-violence-&catid=1:national&Itemid=559)