The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that despite challenges, the country’s electoral processes were recording significant improvements as compared to the past.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Bayelsa State, Barr Obo Effanga, who said this in Calabar, during a chat with Journalists, said future elections would be better.
Effanga rated the 2023 elections as more credible as compared to that of 2015 in which smart card readers were used for accreditation but which later ended up with incidence forms/manual accreditation when politicians complained about inability of the card readers to function maximally.
He said results from some States which decided on incidence forms may not have been based on actual accredited persons who ought to have voted.
“In 2015 about eighty million registered voters where captured while in 2023 the figure increased to about ninety three millions registered voters. This signaled a positive step towards actualizing a peaceful and sustainable democratic process.
“For the first time in our democratic struggles, jumbo figures did not find space in the final results announced for 2023 polls, and this positive approach should act as a consolation inspiration that we are taking positive steps toward actualizing a sustainable democratic process,” he stated
The REC, who also advocated civic and voter education for electorates called on elective office seekers not to always condemn results of electoral body when they face defeat.
Barr Effanga lamented that a situation where elective office seekers would rush to condemn the results of every electoral process should not be interpreted to mean that Nigeria is not making progress towards deepening its democratic processes