Prof. Attahiru Jega, the chairman of INEC has warned its officials against receiving ‘strange gifts’ from any quarter ahead of the December 3, 2011 election in Kogi State.
He gave the warning yesterday in Okene at a two- day training programme for supervisory presiding officers recruited for the election.
The INEC Chairman, who was represented at the event by the national Commissioner in charge of training, Prof. Lai Olurode said the commission intended to improve on the standards achieved in the April elections, and urged them to discharge their duties judiciously.
He advised them to exercise self-caution,saying that desperate politicians would attempt to reach out to them before and during the election.
Jega urged the officers to partner with INEC to deliver a free and fair election in the state, saying that the perception of the commission as a credible electoral umpire must be sustained.
"If we can get it right in Kogi, we will get it right in the other five states where election will hold in 2012,'' he said.
True talk!!!
Jega is spot-on on this one! The importance of the December 3, 2011 governorship polls in Kogi State cannot be overemphasised. The Kogi election is unique because it is the next major assignment of INEC under Jega and would provide a demonstration as to what improvements INEC has made since April as well as act as a litmus test for what is to come in the other gubernatorial elections in 2012!
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