Politics Is Not A Do-Or-Die Affair – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned politicians in the country not to see the election process as a do-or-die affair.

Ahead of the forthcoming general election, INEC urged politicians to see the process as a means to an end and not an end in itself.

INEC’s National Commissioner and chairperson of its Election and Party Monitoring Committee, Prof. Antonia Okoosi-Simbine, gave the warning at a workshop on Leadership and Conflict Management Skills for Electoral Stakeholders organised by European Centre for Electoral Support, ECES, in Abuja Tuesday, October 23, 2018.

She said “This is particularly so in developing democracies where elections are at times perceived as warfare that must be won at all costs. Indeed, a cursory examination of the typical electoral cycle reveals that every phase is fraught with both potential and real dangers.

“Election which is supposed to be a means to an end, that is, good governance is often seen as an end in itself. So much contestation surrounds our elections with little or scant respect for rule of law and due process.”

The training is aimed at exploring ways electoral shakeholders can improve their leadership skills and manage escalation of violence and conflicts throughout the electoral season. It is part of European union support for democratic governance in Nigeria.