Election Observers Call For Credible And Transparent Supplementary Polls – Naija News

An election observer group identified as a coalition of INEC-accredited domestic election observers has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a free, fair, credible and transparent election at the supplementary polls in Adamawa State.

Naija News reports that their call on the commission follows its announcement to hold a supplementary election on April 18.

It would be recalled that the commission had declared the March 18 polls inconclusive in the state.

The results of the polls however showed that Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored the highest votes of 421,524 votes while Aishatu Binani scored 390,275 votes before the suspension.

The electoral umpire declared, however, that cancelled votes were more than the margin of victory between Mr Fintiri and the runner-up, Aisha Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, the coalition on Friday told INEC to add value to the incoming supplementary polls.

The group’s team leader, Victor Kalu, told pressmen on Friday that the call from some quarters that the election be reviewed is not appropriate and condemned it.

Kalu said the coalition condemns the continuous protests at INEC offices in Yola and in Abuja by “undemocratic elements’’ desiring to thwart the process and win an election through the back door.

He added that “We advise INEC to engage all stakeholders before, during and after the supplementary election to add value to the exercise.’’