The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strengthen its capacities to ensure a hitch-free November 11 governorship election in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa. But Nigerians do not trust INEC to deliver fair and credible elections, IPAC chair Yabagi Sani said this on Wednesday in Abuja.

He expressed optimism that INEC would strive to rebuild the trust between itself, political parties and the electorate.

“We, as IPAC, believe that INEC has learned some lessons, and they know that there is a huge deficit of trust between the commission and Nigerians,” said Mr Sani.

The IPAC added, “This happened because INEC was over-ambitious and wanted things to work very well during the presidential elections, but underlined conditions did not allow them to achieve the high standards they set for themselves.

“So INEC will have to go back to its drawing board and take a look at things that went wrong and correct them. And this doesn’t mean that they should throw away their technological advancements because they served their purpose, and there is nothing wrong with the use of technology.”

Mr Sani stated that the use of technology was not the problem of INEC in the conduct of the general elections but the conduct of its officials, political parties and their agents, and Nigerians.

However, The IPAC leader advised INEC to improve and advance its technology usage to set a better standard for Nigeria on the global scene as the largest and strongest democratic country in Africa.

“INEC must set and show a good example in the November 11 off-cycle governorship election. It should show that we have technology and we can use them perfectly,” said Mr Sani.

(NAN)