Ndukwe Onuoha, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) gubernatorial candidate in Abia, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remain apolitical during the 2023 general elections.

Mr Onuoha spoke in Umuahia at a media forum organised by the correspondents’ chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Abia council.

“INEC has a significant role to play in the emergence of a new administration by May 29; therefore, it must remain an objective umpire to ensure that the process will be transparent,” he said.

Mr Onuoha urged the commission to be wary of unscrupulous politicians that would be bent on manipulating the electoral process to favour them.

He expressed concern that such desperate politicians would want to frustrate the efforts to improve the country’s electoral process.

He alleged that some mischievous persons in a certain local government area of the state were already denying registered voters access to their permanent voter cards because they did not belong to certain political parties.

“INEC must make sure that they outsmart the smart politicians, who never want the process to be transparent or who may never want the will of the people to be.

“Past elections were all about sharing unused ballot papers among the high and mighty politicians to increase the number of votes they get at the polls.

“This time, the music has changed because one of the major determinants of the outcome of the process is the PVC,” the governorship hopeful said.

He commended the commission for its efforts during the Ekiti and Osun gubernatorial elections in June and July, respectively.

Mr Onuoha said the outcomes were indicators that the investments made by the federal government to transform the commission had paid off.

He described the Electoral Act 2020 (as amended) as the divine will of God and the hope of the average Nigerian for a better state and federal government.

(NAN)