The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has bemoaned the mind set and disposition of Nigerian politicians towards elections.
The commission said that politicians in the country see elections and political contests as war.
National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of the INEC, Festus Okoye, said this on Monday in Abuja at the inauguration of the Election Crisis Communication Team (ECCT) organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD).
“As a result of the way elections are pursued by politicians, elections are almost akin to war. It is almost like a perennial crisis,” Okoye said.
He noted while that INEC enjoys media coverage, however, there is still room for deepening the communications system of the commission.
“However, the commission has also been doing a lot that is under-reported, shrouded in sensationalism or even misinterpreted by the general public. As we experience increasing incidents of misrepresentation of the commission, either out of insufficient appreciation of the constitutive legal instruments underlying the work of the commission; inadequate understanding of the work of the commission or other sundry issues around political positioning and contest for power,” Okoye said.
He also commended the CDD for the innovation and timeliness, as it is also a perfect complement to the capacity of the commission.
He said, “This has once more shown that the CDD is not just a leading Civil Society Organization (CSO) that advocates for an improved democracy in Nigeria but a think tank that approaches issues of national concern from an informed perspective based on thorough research.
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