The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is no longer disposed to declaring a winner in any violence marred election, according to the commission Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
Yakubu, speaking at a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in Abuja on Friday said that any future election characterized by manipulation of the process or subjecting electoral officers to threats would not count.
Besides, elections will no longer proceed in any constituency where the safety of voters, personnel and materials is threatened.
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“Going forward, INEC has decided that although the Commission has no power under the law to cancel an election, it will not proceed with the process in any constituency where the safety of voters, our personnel and materials is threatened,” the INEC chairman said.
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“Furthermore, collation of results will not proceed where the collation centres are invaded. No declaration of winners will be made where Returning Officers are threatened”.
The Commission has also strengthened measures to check illegal deployment of money by politicians to influence outcome of elections.
“You will similarly recall that at our last meeting, we expressed concern about the dimension that illegal deployment of financial resources to influence the outcome of elections, including vote-buying at polling units on Election Day, INEC has assumed. (Nation)
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