Nigerians in diaspora caution Jega over 30,000 polling units
NIGERIANS resident in the United States of America, have called on the Chairman of Independent Electoral Commission,INEC, Prof Atahiru Jega to accept professional recommendations and legislative disapproval on the use of the newly created 30. 000 polling units during the 2015 general elections.
This was contained in a statement by Messrs. Dechi. Dariye, Abayomi. Adeolu and Osahon Osagie.
Jega
The statement reads: ‘’We note that the Senate Committee in Nigeria responsible for oversight functions on election management has advised against continuing with the new polling unit allocations because of the limited time required to embark upon a credible process, following international benchmarks. We see this as a realistic corroboration of the Handley recommendations, but sadly, despite public denials by the electoral Commission under your leadership we hear of subterranean efforts to surge ahead with the new polling units, despite professional recommendations and legislative oversight disapproval.
‘’We find it rather curious that despite the length of time which has elapsed between the last election and the imminent one, the conclusions of the scientific report was not prioritized given the bearing it has on the coming election in regard to logistical arrangements. This is why we find it strange that such scientific precision was dispensed with for arbitrariness in the current exercise of Polling Unit creation which has led to unnecessary controversies.’’
‘’In the United States of America, it is unheard of that any agency which relies on legislative approval for funding its functions will deride legislative advice, ignore adverse security reports, gloss over litigation in court, disdain and completely disregard strong public opinion on a sensitive matter like this when ethnic, regional and religious tension is at its highest boiling point. We do not expect that disregard of the legislature will emanate from an electoral umpire.’’
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