A youth group called Imo Youths for a New Nigeria has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to correct the mistakes made during the February and March 2023 general elections by conducting perfect governorship elections in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa states on November 11, 2023.
Speaking at a press conference in Owerri, Chidiebube Okeoma, the leader of the youth body, criticised the outcome of the 2023 presidential, National Assembly, governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections and urged INEC to use the November 11 governorship elections to rewrite their wrongs.
Okeoma argued that the just-concluded elections did not meet the expectations of millions of Nigerians, and many had lost interest in the country’s democracy.
He accused INEC of giving false hope that it would conduct credible elections but ended up conducting the most “flawed election since 1999.”
The youth leader cited various irregularities such as voting buying, the partisanship of INEC staff and security agents, hijacking of electoral materials, mutilation of election results, going against the 2022 electoral act as amended, voter intimidation and suppression, and electoral violence, which he claimed marred the entire process.
Okeoma also accused politicians of openly rigging the elections in their favour and boasting about their tactics, with the aid of compromised INEC officers and security agents.
He added that the politicians openly mocked the judiciary by asking those who opposed their rigging tactics to go to court.
Okeoma emphasised that INEC must conduct the governorship elections in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa States in strict adherence to the electoral act 2022 as amended to regain the lost confidence and trust of millions of Nigerians.
He noted that if the November 11 elections are not conducted ideally, millions of Nigerians will not participate in future elections.
However, Okeoma maintained that INEC has no reason to fail Nigerians in November because, unlike the February 25 and March 18 elections, the November 11 elections are just taking place in three states, giving the commission ample time to prepare and enough workforce to prosecute the elections in line with international best practices.
He concluded that if INEC conducts credible elections in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa States in November, millions may rescind their decision of not wanting to vote again.
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